Steel Revolution
by NarayanK
Summary: After isolating himself from the other champions and League matches for six months, Mordekaiser had been awoken by the Institute once more. The Master of Metal finds himself living in a chaotic "household," fighting in the Summoner's Rift, and facing many unique situations that he'd never thought of facing before. Hopefully, the iron man would stay safe and healthy.
1. Master of Metal!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Riot Games and its creations.**

* * *

_'I like my weapons how I like my music... heavy... and metal! Time to shred...' -Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal_

* * *

"_Sickness sustains me!_"

The League of Legends was an organization that aimed to settle political conflicts in a systemic way. However, as much as how it was designed to settle conflicts, denizens of Valoran found the matches that the League held entertaining. It took very little time to calm citizens about the fact that an Institute of War had been built.

The Institute itself served more as shelter for the League's champions. In fact, many champions found the Institute more comfortable than their own homes. Other than the entertaining matches held, the champions spent their times happily. But there was one problem.

The champions were always locked up in their rooms.

At one point, summoners began to swarm around champions to the point where they had to escape. A particular mummy received an injury due to the sheer amount of people inside the Mess Hall, which was the main call of retreat for the others. Their absence did bring serenity in the Mess Hall, Break Room, and different places. However, when the champions were eventually put into a separate location from the rowdy and curious summoners, even then were they too busy spending time in their respective rooms. Only a few champions such as Garen, the Might of Demacia, could be seen outside his room once in a while.

Yes, the building containing the champions was very quiet.

But there was one champion missing. A champion that had been forgotten. And this champion was also the reason why some matches could not start at all.

"Ha ha ha! Your knights are no match for my legion of undead!"

The very champion that had been banned in so many games to the point where many forgot about him.

"My children train themselves in their graves... interesting, isn't it?"

The very champion that could confidently eat Ezreal, the Prodigal Explorer, for breakfast.

"_Time to shred!_"

It was Mordekaiser.

Mordekaiser was no ordinary champion. He had set up the record for not being called to a single match for six straight months. Rumors claim that he attempted to cook Luxanna Crownguard, one of the brightest ladies in the League of Legends, in a boiling pot for breakfast simply because 'she was too bright.' Lux herself doesn't remember what had exactly happened, but she knew that her life was at stake. After all, injuries outside the League of Legend matches didn't heal quickly.

He was the Master of Metal, and he surely lived his name up to it. Not even Vladimir could slither out of his iron grip when angered. For six months, Mordekaiser had not been disturbed by absolutely anything, and he was quite glad about that. In fact, that gave him more time to level up in this one video game he got hooked to. Controlling legions of armies in real-time strategy had never been this fun for Mordekaiser.

"_Yearrrrgh!_ Take this! That! Those! These! Ha ha ha!"

And yet, there is one attribute that very- and by 'very,' I mean by _very_, little people know of.

"Yet another victory for the great lord; _Mordekaiser!_"

He acted quite human.

Yes, people actually decided to deny the fact that he was a living being due to his public cruelty. After all, not many living things decide to shove Lulu into a closet filled with explosives. But he still had a heart, which was the very reason for why he was alive. His heart was certainly not the purest, but it certainly wasn't the dumbest. Mordekaiser himself didn't care about 'hearts' and things along those lines, however, as he _was_ an iron man.

Putting down his GameMace controller down, which actually resembled Mordekaiser's weapon of choice, the Master of Metal leaned comfortably on his couch made of stainless steel. There was nothing as comfortable as this!

Then, he heard the knock of a door.

Mordekaiser's eyes jerked open.

It had been six months since someone had _ever_ decided to knock on _his_ door. What could possibly be so important?

Standing, he stormed towards the iron door with heavy footsteps before slamming it open. In front of him was a male summoner who wore purple robes. His face was partially covered by the hood, but it was clear that he was frightened. Without hesitation, Mordekaiser summoned his mace before grabbing the summoner by his robes.

"_You only need to knock once, infidel!_ What could it possibly be that made those wretched mages send _you_ down to _my_ room?!"

"P-Please," shouted the summoner in terror, "please let me go! I'm too young to die! I have important news! I-"

"I, I, I, I, I! Speak clearly, you bumbling ! Shut up and summarize your message in ten words!"

The young summoner gulped before thinking of a way to summarize his message. A few seconds was all it took before he blurted out,

"The Institute wants you to attend the next Rift battle!"

Mordekaiser's face cringed in confusion and wonder, making the summoner's face cringe in fear and horror.

"The _Institute_? Tell me summoner, why would they summon me, the Master of Metal, the Lord of legions, and the Almighty Iron Man to one of their petty games after such a long time? Did they not grant me freedom?!"

The summoner gulped again, much to Mordekaiser's annoyance, before he answered, "A-Actually, they _do_ want you to participate, but there was another reason for why they sent me down h-here."

Mordekaiser stood, dumbstruck. He then brought the summoner to an eerily close distance, growling, "And what might be that reason?"

"T-They want you to move in with the other champions!"

"!"

Mordekaiser's jaw fell. Dropping the summoner, he looked down. With the other champions? Weren't they as insane as _he_ were?!

...Okay, maybe they weren't as violent as him, but _still_! The champions were just pesky in their own ways. And they were... _weak_. Yes, weak. Outside of the League of Legend matches, he had a top-notch strength that is rivaled by no other. He was known for picking up Urgot with one hand before tossing him out the window straight into a swimming pool, after all.

"U-Umm... are you alright... sir?"

"_GUARGGGGH! THAT'S MASTER FOR YOU!_"

Mordekaiser's mace smashed into the summoner, causing the boy to fly straight out of the deep basement painfully. He would live; that is, if he could withstand major injuries. The Master of Metal had spared him thanks to a safety spell he cast around his mace. He wasn't that stupid to anger the entire Institute, though it would be entertaining to watch them fall on their knees before him.

In a rampage of insults and complaints, the lord of legions walked out of his room before shutting it. After he locked it, which triggered spikes to cover the door's handles, Mordekaiser left the deep dungeon, which was actually built especially for him.

* * *

When Mordekaiser emerged from the basement, he found himself in the middle of the Institute. A few female summoners screamed silently at his sudden appearance. Some of the security prepared magic spells in case he began to wreck havoc. The Master of Metal simply chuckled at this; was his reputation that _great_?

_'That's it, fear me. That's what I need to motivate me before I go back to those hellions,'_ thought Mordekaiser.

He began to walk away from the scene. Staying there would just cause a commotion. Whenever someone gave him a weird look, he would give them a weird look, causing them to look away. It felt so good to be himself.

When he arrived at the Champions' Break, which was a large building that sheltered the League's champions inside, he found a middle-aged summoner waiting for him. His eyes widened. The summoner was the one of the summoners that feared Mordekaiser the least. Chuckling, the hulking tank walked up to the summoner.

"Ah, if it ain't ol' Mercedes. What might cause you, out of all people, to be here?"

Mercury, who went by Mercedes, was much smaller than Mordekaiser, but he wasn't a short human being. His short auburn hair contrasted from the red summoner robes he wore. The man worked for the Institute as a high summoner, and he was a fairly good-looking one too.

The summoner laughed heartily. "Heh heh, I see you stick with my ol' nickname. Anyways, the Institute wants you to stay with the champions for several reasons."

The metal tank raised an eyebrow. "_Several_ reasons? The last bub who told me of this news said that there was _one_."

Mercury, who went by Mercedes, frowned before smirking. "Must be a youngster. They forget the most important parts. The Institute wants you to get closer to the others. Isolation is making them fear that you'll go mad."

"Mad? Why?!"

"Apparently," said the old man, "you'll become a 'loner.'"

"Gee wiz," said Mordekaiser, imitating a young summoner's voice, "as if I never visit my victims!"

"The Institute thinks that by getting you closer with others, summoners who want to pick you won't hesitate. Currently, everyone thinks you've murdered five summoners for touching you."

"Don't worry," said the Master of Metal confidently, "I'm pretty sure they 'touched' my mace. Cause seriously, I don't remember killing any of those pathetic insects."

Mercedes grinned before patting Mordekaiser's chestplate. "I'm sure you'll do fine, though. You never failed to disappoint me. At least, so far, that is."

"Old man, if you can get at least five friends, then I can get five thousand that would kneel before me."

"That's equivalent to getting slaves."

"...Oh."

* * *

After leaving Mercedes, Mordekaiser went inside the Champions' Break. It really was a big place. The halls were literally empty, and the amount of stairs was crazy. Thank whoever designed this place that there was a freaking elevator. Some of the hallways were bland, while some attempted to look 'pretty.' They looked ugly to the Metallic Master, though.

"These whole... _living_... things... are highly overrated."

Mordekaiser sighed before something caught his eye. In the middle of the first floor's hallway was a figure sitting on a bench.

The iron man felt giddy.

"O' de le joy! The first thing that's remotely close to living is a person sitting on a boring looking bench."

Mordekaiser stomped towards the bench. However, he found something completely unexpected.

Instead of his usual, oblivious victims, this one had some sort of instrument in front of her. Her hair slightly floated in an odd fashion, and her clothes seemed to move due to the aura around her. She slept peacefully with a beautiful face that many men would fawn over.

However, Mordekaiser was not your ordinary man. This was proven when he took out his steel camera. The lord of legions crept next to her before moving one of her pigtails a little. When she didn't wake up, Mordekaiser let the hair cross over his face before taking a picture of himself. He was glad to find himself with the longest mustache in mankind.

"I could use this to win the _Bestest, Awesomest, Trollest Troll of 2013_..."

Letting go of the hair, Mordekaiser put away his camera. He looked back at the woman, only to find a pair of eyes staring back.

The two stared at each other for a while.

Then the woman smiled. She continued to stare at him, which disturbed Mordekaiser a lot.

_'What is this madness?! That smile... something's not right here... and with her...'_

Mordekaiser kept a poker face before turning away. He had to prevent himself from killing the woman at this moment. Taking a deep breath, the Master of Metal looked back at the woman. She plucked some strings in what appeared to be a harp. The noises were surprisingly pleasant to the iron man's ears.

"Mmm... do that thing again."

The woman's expression turned from to a sleepy, yet greeting one to a confused expression. She pointed at her instrument, trying to confirm his request.

"Yes, yes. That thing. Made of whatever it's made of. The noise makes me feel high- I mean, good."

The maven began to pluck more strings, causing the Master of Metal to twitch erratically with happiness.

"Wait a second, I should be finding my room right now. Woman! You play surprisingly pleasant music that soothes my ears. I give you the permission to tell me your name."

The maven plucked more strings, looking at Mordekaiser with a smile.

"...What?"

When Mordekaiser's face cringed in confusion, she also was confused. Plucking more strings, she looked up at him expectantly.

"...Woman, I have no idea what you're talking about, but _that feels good! Awwww yeaaah!_"

Mordekaiser jumped around like a certain, hellish pony before retreating to a nearby elevator. However, the Maven of Strings, Sona, was greatly troubled. Her magic was ineffective. Her magic did not work.

Therefore, she could not talk to him.

Why couldn't she talk to him?

* * *

Mordekaiser had to go to the highest floor in order to find his new 'home.' It was at the very end with a wooden door. The area itself wasn't that bad; there were many rooms inside, with a ridiculously large living room that showed the entire Institute through a wide window. Even the bathroom was large, and apparently, the toilet had been resized for Mordekaiser's comfort. It lacked something crucial, however.

It lacked metal.

It was fixed the instant moment he entered the room. After dedicating his time to modify the room, he turned the once beautiful place to a hellish home fit for a lord. The living room now had a throne that acted as a spinning chair.

"Hmph. Not bad. But I certainly expected more."

He was unaware of the commotion beneath him.

* * *

"_You what!?_"

Garen, the Might of Demacia, had met up with Sona after becoming tired with his friends' parties. His jaw nearly slammed itself on the floor. Just when Sona was about to continue, Garen dragged her into his own room. It was filled with posters of big swords and swords... definitely Garen-like.

"Sona, do you even know what that monster is?"

The Maven shook her head.

"Sona, Mordekaiser is a ruthless ruler over Shadow Islands. He's known to kill off anyone who ticks him off enough. I had to silence my own sister just to save her life; you know about her talkative personality, anyways. Mordekaiser's ability to use metal is horrifyingly powerful.

...and judging by your expression, you never knew about that."

Sona became horrified when Garen mentioned Shadow Islands. Especially with the fact that the iron man she met was a _ruler_, out of all people. After regaining her composure, she sighed before plucking her strings to Garen,

"_But... but Sir Garen, there was something strange about this... man..._"

Garen attempted to calm himself down as well before he asked, "And why might that be, Sona?"

"_I am sure I plucked my strings to talk to him... but he... he didn't hear anything except for my music._"

Garen obviously became confused. Anyone could hear Sona when she wanted to talk to them, so why couldn't one of the strongest listen to her?

"That's certainly interesting... but nevertheless, please be cautious around him. I don't know what his intentions are in the Break, but his presence worries me about your safety."

Sona looked up at him before smiling. "_Thank you, Sir Garen. I shall be careful._"

Garen felt heat rise up to his cheeks. He couldn't stand it when a beautiful lady like Sona looked up to him like that.

And outside, there were two women right at the door.

Luxanna Crownguard felt worried about her brother. Right now, he was with a woman in his room, and this was probably the first time he did something like this. Was he trying to do something drastic? Or perhaps he wanted to confess his love? Either way, she was focusing on what they were saying. Their voices sounded caring for sure.

Next to Lux was Katarina du Couteau. Knowing Garen for a long time, she was surely interested in this sudden turn of events. There was a certain part of her that made her... jealous. Strange for a Noxian to go so far for a Demacian, but then again, the redhead did 'appreciate' Garen for unknown reasons.

Usually in a strange rivalry for Garen, the two had made a temporary alliance to find out what was going on between the Might of Demacia and the Maven of Strings. Lux and Katarina looked at each other with worried looks when Sona clearly asked,

"_But Sir Garen, why have you brought me into your room? And there are so many... swords..._"

And what followed afterwards put them into a full-panic mode.

"Want to see _my_ personal sword?"

Now, puns were something Garen used a lot, and in this case, it seemed to cause both confusion and chaos with Lux's and Katarina's imaginations.

Lux silently asked, "Does he enjoy that kind of stuff?"

"Of course not," whispered her redhead rival and ally, "at least, not while I was around!"

"_S-Sir Garen, what are you doing? And... w-why are you being so hasty...?_"

"E-Eh, well, I just wanted to share it with someone I trust."

Both Lux and Katarina screamed in their minds,

_'**ARE YOU SAYING THAT YOU DON'T TRUST ME?!**_'

Lux dug her face into her hands while Katarina blushed as the embarrassing conversation went on.

"_S-Sir... sir..._"

Lux and Katarina looked up at each other before shoving their ears next to the door.

"_T-That... is certainly big... and it certainly looks dangerous...!_"

"Heh heh! Actually, I never used this thing before. Sure, I swung around in the bathroom before, but I always managed to hit something with it. Part of the reason for why I don't do that anymore.

…

…

...wanna carry it?"

Everyone gasped. Even Mordekaiser, who just found out that his mace had a dust ball on it.

"_It- It- Ah, uhh, I... it looks too dangerous though..._"

"Don't worry, Maven of Strings. No one is around to hear the ruckus. Hopefully."

Garen was out of hope, much to his oblivious nature. Lux was on the verge of breaking her light staff, while Katarina felt like sharpening her daggers.

"_O-...okay..._"

Lux and Katarina prepared for an ambush.

Meanwhile, inside Garen's room, Sona did her best to carry Garen's favorite sword. It was insanely huge, but since it wasn't an actually weapon, it wasn't that big. The sword surely did look real for a model, though.

"_L-Like this?_"

Garen found himself in a world of bliss. Seeing the maven shy like this was too awesome for him. Mouth open with a smile, he found himself day-dreaming.

"_S-Sir Garen? Did you pass out...?_"

"Huh? What? N-No! Nothing. Ha ha, it's just refreshing to see you holding that sword."

"_R-Really, sir?_"

"Sure! In fact, that big sword might even fit with you-"

This was the end of the line. Lux and Katarina bust the door open before respectively yelling,

"_DEMACIA!_"

"_NOXUS!_"

Garen could only look up at confusion before asking,

"Lux? Kat? What in the world are-"

Garen went into a world of pain. Something he honestly didn't deserve. Mordekaiser chuckled when he shoved the dust ball he discovered into a trashcan.


	2. Maven with Metal!

The news of Mordekaiser's arrival spread quickly. And with obvious results. Many of the doors were either barricaded or had some sort of protection spell on it. Teemo's had an obnoxious amount of mushrooms in front of his, Jarvan set up thousands of flag poles... The doors were all guarded one way or another, but Mordekaiser had no plans of going inside any of them. After setting up some more things in his room and watching over the Institute, the Master of Metal went into the first floor.

The bench was now empty. Had the woman heard of his awesome presence? If so, it would explain many reasons for it's empty. She seemed like the type who would roam around in quiet places. He felt little care about the woman at the moment, for he wanted to try that bench out. With heavy steps, Mordekaiser sat on a bench smaller than his mace.

It was surprisingly sturdy.

The man(?) tried to relax as he slid down to a position comfortable for him. He could see why the maven liked this bench; it felt pretty good. And for a small bench, it was somewhat wide as well, allowing Mordekaiser to lie down on the freaking thing. Too bad his mace couldn't enjoy the pleasure he was feeling.

"Heh heh heh... I feel like picking this up and tossing it into my room, but then again, those pesky champions might start complaining."

He felt a presence coming closer to the bench. At first, he disregarded it, but then he noticed that it was a familiar presence. Keeping a close eye on whoever decided to bother him, he pretended to sleep. The Master of Metal didn't need to sleep, though sometimes he did occasionally, so he was skilled in the arts of 'pretending.' When the mysterious figure came to full light, Mordekaiser jerked his eyes open in an attempt to scare whoever was in front of him.

It was that woman again.

_'No wonder she came at a strangely slow pace...'_

Sighing, Mordekaiser sat up. The Maven of Strings kept herself from trembling before him. He was, after all, a commander of thousands of undead, and who knew when he would lash out against someone. Keeping her composure, she attempted to bring a smile on her face once more. She then did something daring; something that no other champion would decide to do. Something befitting for a support that loved tranquility.

She sat next to him.

And since nearly every champion at the first floor was observing the situation, there was a wave of unheard gasps.

Sona didn't know what she was doing right at the moment, but she decided that it was the only way to know the metallic monster a little more. Even Kha'Zix didn't make her tremble this much.

"Woman."

Sona jumped a little when Mordekaiser talked to her. She turned to face him with that smile of hers before changing her instrument's tunes. The maven then plucked some strings in hopes of succeeding in communication.

"_Whoa-ho-hoa, that feels goooooo-_ no, wait a minute... Woman! Stop plucking those strings to make me feel good!"

The Maven of Strings silently whimpered before hearing Mordekaiser out.

"As you might've heard, I am Lord Mordekaiser, Master of Metal."

She nodded.

"Due to the fact that I have no... _friends_..."

Sona noticed the hint of disgust put into a particular term.

"...I have decided to bring myself closer to- _GUARGGH! DAMN FLIES!_"

Mordekaiser summoned his mace before literally smashing it into the ground. Despite having a protection spell around it, the portion of the ground was obliterated, leaving marks made by the spiky mace. At the very center of the impact, a fly twitched before dying. Sighing, Mordekaiser turned back to Sona, only to find the maven on the verge of crying. He let his mace disappear with a 'poof!'

"... I have decided to bring myself closer to the other champions. Arrogance is something I find highly unappreciative, but you have shown little. Therefore, here is an invitation for dinner."

Mordekaiser snapped his finger before letting a metallic letter pop into his hand. He handed it out for the Maven of Strings. Sona looked up at the letter, fearing that something might pop out of it, before reluctantly taking it. She opened a knob on it, allowing the metallic piece of metal reveal _another_ piece of metal with words on it. The lady took it out before reading it to herself,

_Dear Woman,_

_You have been invited to the Dining Room of Pain. There will be pain, food, and pain. There will also be metal. Along with suffering. And pain._

_I hope (I think...) that you will accept this invitation and dine with me._

_Sincerely,_

_Mordekaiser, Lord of Shadow Isles_

_P.S. There will be pain._

Sona looked up to Mordekaiser, who had been staring at her for a long time by now. What was he thinking? The monster of a man was towering over her, waiting to have a dinner invitation accepted or declined. For some reason, she felt as if the metal man wasn't as bad as he seemed.

Except for the killing part. Boy, did he enjoy killing.

She nodded, allowing Mordekaiser to sigh in relief. Any answer would've make him sigh in relief, for he had been holding his breath for a long time.

"Alright. Woman, you shall meet me in two hours. Until then, prepare yourself. If there even _is_ anything to prepare. Ha ha ha!"

The massive hulk began to storm over to the elevator again. He seemed to like that elevator.

Sona sighed and placed the letter next to her. She stood up from the bench before floating away to her room in the second floor. Taking the stairs felt more comfortable for her. She didn't know why.

Unbeknownst to her, the champions in the first floor had gathered in the hallway, already planning out their strategies to save Sona from the grasp of Mordekaiser. Should he ever do something drastic to the Maven of Strings...

Well, as Master Yi puts it,

"Dunk him!"

* * *

And then, it hit the final hour. Seven o' clock. To kill off some of the stress she had, Sona went through the stairs. She didn't know how to feel right at the moment. At one point of view, she was terrified at the fact that a bloodthirsty lord wanted to dine with her. At another view, however, she felt somewhat curious. Why couldn't he hear her talk? Why does he find little arrogance in her? She _could_ talk to him through telepathy, but it required focus and concentration, making it quite unreliable in active conversations.

The Maven of Strings did not change into anything special; after all, what she wore was already... fascinating. The blue and yellow colors of Demacia... but then again, Demacia might not fit in with Shadow Isles. As she neared the highest floor, she felt her nervousness rising again. Going through the stairs was definitely not worth it; it only made her tired _and_ more nervous.

When she went up the last stairway, she found herself looking at an ominous looking door at the far end. She was horrified to hear screams coming out of the room. Screams of men, women, and... _ending lives._

_There were people dying in there_.

Sona felt anger boil inside her.

She wasn't one to get angry easily, but to see how far the Master of Metal would go to satisfy his thirst of violence...

Sona went towards the door at a faster pace than ever. Whatever Mordekaiser was doing, it certainly didn't sound good, and she was hell-bent on stopping it. Taking a deep breath, she knocked the metallic door.

The screams stopped abruptly.

"_You only need to knock once!_"

Sona flinched. He was quite loud, but it was expected from a Shadow Isles lord.

"...come in."

The Maven of Strings reluctantly entered Mordekaiser's lair.

And then she felt utterly confused. First things first, there were no people around. It was just Mordekaiser, staring into what appeared to be a... what was that thing he was looking at? The mysterious object was a box that showed an image of a box that had big, white words that stated 'PAUSE.' Tilting her head in confusion and wonder, she was about to observe the box for a longer time before Mordekaiser called out for her.

"Woman! I'm sorry, really, but the only food I have in here are some sandwiches. Forgot to go get groceries. Habits of being alone..."

Sona, still suspicious of Mordekaiser, floated towards the kitchen before finding four sandwiches prepared. She assumed that Mordekaiser ate three sandwiches per day. Boy, was she terribly wrong. She picked up a sandwich before going back to the living room. When Mordekaiser saw the sandwich in her hand, his face cringed in curiosity. It was the very expression that intimidated absolutely _anyone_.

"Woman... why take _one_ sandwich when you could have _two_?"

Sona was about to answer, but then realized that she couldn't talk to him. Mordekaiser went to the kitchen before bringing all of the sandwiches. He placed one of the sandwiches on her free hand. The Maven of Strings stared at the sandwich. It was poorly made, but it certainly wasn't something she'd expect from a ruler from Shadow Isles. Imagining the monster of a man making tiny sandwiches was just... funny.

She smiled for a second. Then she remembered why she had been angry earlier. Still suspicious about the object Mordekaiser was staring at, she approached him. She tapped him on the shoulder lightly. Was it something he worshiped? Or was there something more to it?

"Hmm? What do you need, woman?"

Sona pointed at the object. Mordekaiser looked at the mystery item before simply asking,

"What about the television?"

Sona blanked out for a second. What _was_ a television? What was up with the 'tele-' mixed with the 'vision?' She tilted her head in confusion. Now that she thought about it, the Demacian men had a similar item in their group room, except it looked less... sharper.

Mordekaiser sighed before sitting down comfortably in front of his television. He pointed at the television before explaining,

"To sum things up, televisions allow anyone to go through these things called 'channels.' Each channel has something to show: whether it be advertisements, entertainment shows, or dramas. For example, one channel might show comedy shows, and comedy shows only. Channels could be diverse, but..."

Sona tilted her head to the other side.

_But...?_

Mordekaiser flashed something in front of Sona. Startled, she jumped a little before observing the object he showed her. It appeared to be a small device with some wire connected to another device.

"I like to play _games_."

Mordekaiser resumed his video game. He went back into an FPS game he had been trying out, and so far, it wasn't really all that bad. It just lacked more metal.

"You see, video games- whoop, look at that guy fly. Video games are another form of entertainment. Except video games, in most cases, let _you_ do something to have fun. For example, right now, I'm on a rampage against these pathetic excuses of _enemies_. I don't care about stories, but many video games have a plot behind them. Not that I care about plots."

Silence fell over the two. Curious to what Sona was doing, he paused the game before turning around, finding a terrified Sona hiding behind him.

"...and for your information, I am _not_ killing things with actual life in them. Right at the moment, at least. These things are fake. Sadly. I wish I was in the game obliterating things..."

Sona looked up at Mordekaiser. She was far from what he'd expected. He was somewhat...

...like a parent?

She didn't feel too special whenever Mordekaiser interacted with her, but he did try to teach her some things, and even try to prevent her from getting hungry. Maybe it was unintentional, but his current attitude was far from the violent monster she thought he was. Sure, maybe he was a violence-mania, but... the way he treated her. The way he didn't harm her, but even took his time to make food when he usually doesn't.

Sona smiled in relief. He hid some of his relaxing qualities behind his powerful presence. She didn't know why, but she knew that if he somehow began to use his good traits with others, then he would have no trouble in fitting into the Champions' Break.

Mordekaiser's television set had its volume turned down, allowing Sona to let her head rest on iron man's back without fear of waking up from loud noises. The Master of Metal turned his head and sighed when he realized that she was sleeping. When did this become a sleepover? After beating the current level he was on with a fascinating finisher on the last enemy, Mordekaiser carefully stood up before carrying the Maven of Strings in his arms. He tiptoed his way towards his bedroom before laying her down on the bed. Hopefully, she didn't mind the tough blankets. After confirming that she was under the blankets, he left the bedroom, hoping that she wouldn't be waking up any time soon. Mordekaiser shut the bedroom door before chuckling.

"Time to hook up Pentakill Legends."

And so, Mordekaiser partied all night without sleeping at all. Like a boss.

* * *

The next morning, everyone was on a panic mode.

"So I heard that Mordekaiser ate Sona and he was 'k," said an unenthusiastic Gangplank.

"Watch your mouth! He will dare not kill Sona Buvelle," exclaimed Xin Zhao angrily.

In the midst of the commotion in the hallway, Lux felt extremely worried for Sona. Sure, she was quite angry with Garen about that one incident, but not at Miss Buvelle! Sona was one of the kindest people in the League, and if she were to be harmed by one of the most dangerous champions...

"Zed," Katarina asked with a hint of desperation and anger in her voice, "have you found Sona yet?"

Zed, the Master of Shadows, shook his head. He never liked it whenever he failed to do something. "The Master of Metal is obviously involved in this. As much as how far I'd to go for power and recognition... this tin man went a little over the line."

"Little? You lil' prick," muttered Katarina with hostility in her voice, "Buvelle and I may be from polar opposite places, but she took care of me with great care. Don't think her existence is inferior like the oblivious summoners."

Zed shrugged before chuckling, "I've known Sona Buvelle for quite some time now. And indeed, I am quite worried. Don't judge me for my usage of grammar... Noxian." And with that, he disappeared to the shadows, searching for Buvelle once more. He prayed that she wasn't in Mordekaiser's place.

Master Yi then proclaimed something crazy.

"I shall meet the Master of Metal myself."

Everyone gasped. It took a millisecond for the topic to turn from 'Sona's safety' to 'Sona _and_ Yi's safety.' He left without a word before hearing someone behind him,

"I shall follow you, Master Yi."

"Ah, Garen. If you wish so, then it would be appreciated."

The two hastened themselves before entering the elevator. It was an awkward moment. Just waiting and waiting inside some box playing music... Garen's foot tapped the floor impatiently. When they arrived at the highest floor, the two prepared to unsheathe their weapons as they approached the door at the far end. Master Yi did not hesitate to knock, but knowing Mordekaiser from previous incidents, he only knocked once. When no reply came, Garen and Yi found themselves staring at each other in high alert. The Might of Demacia and the Wuju Bladesman unsheathed their weapons before opening the door quietly. What was Mordekaiser, the terrifying Master of Metal, doing right at the moment?

They found something disturbing.

First things first, the Master of Metal had taken his torso armor off; something rarely seen. He was using some sort of bloody guitar to rock some tunes out of himself. The second thing that surprised them was the fact that Sona Buvelle herself was plucking some tunes as well.

"_Heat! Heat! Heat! Yeeeeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!_"

Garen's eye twitched. Master Yi let his sword drop in utter shock.

"_You should never do what the pirate says! YOU **AREN'T** A PIRATE!_

_You should never do what Noxus says! THERE'S NOTHING BUT **BRAS **AND **PANTIES**!_

_You should never do what Demacia says! 'CAUSE WHO EVEN LIKES **SKINTIGHTS?!**_

_But you should always listen to what the Morde says-_

_CLICK. ONCE. **FOOOOOOL**!_"

As the metallic man jumped around while rocking his guitar, he told Sona, "See, now _that_ is how you do heavy metal! Woman! Your tunes are hellishly good! Play me _more!_"

Master Yi, who had picked up his sword again, asked the Demacian next to him, "Wait... Sir Garen. So basically, the Master of Metal was utilizing the beautiful and highly respected Maven of Strings for his own pleasure? _Heavy metal_, out of all things?"

Garen growled, "I'm gonna end this."

The Might of Demacia, with the Wuju Bladesman behind him, called out bravely,

"_Mordekaiser!_"

Mordekaiser stopped jumping. Surprised at the sudden appearance of Garen and Yi, he tossed his guitar out of an open window. Everyone stared at the guitar flying away... before seeing it land in the middle of the Institute. With a huge impact. People screamed at the sudden appearance of the dangerous looking thing, though a few got the basic gist of who would do something like this.

"...First Blood?"

"Mordekaiser," said Garen with a hint of nervousness in his voice, "may we take Sona Buvelle back? There's a huge commotion about you... hurting... Sona. Yeah, hurting."

"What? But weren't they talking about rap-"

Garen smacked Yi straight in the face, knocking the bladesman out for a while.

"Rap? That's half-decent, but not as good as heavy metal. Anyways, if this woman wants to go, tell her to go. I recorded some of her 'pr0 pluck1ng sk1llz,' and I really don't want to ruin my image any further. For now... anyways, it's thanks to her that I started dancing around so early in the damned morning. Farewell, woman."

Sona's face turned into that from happy to confused. Just when she was about to retort, she noticed the look on Mordekaiser's eyes. He was very tired.

After all, when Sona had woken up, it was five in the morning. A time where Mordekaiser was supposed to rest. When she wanted to play music with him, he had no choice but to oblige due to his love for Sona's music and heavy metal. He _did_ try his best to be friendly after all, which was somewhat of a failure and success at the same time. For even after her name was revealed to him, he decided to call her 'woman.' Sona realized that to him, she would always remain as 'woman,' not someone who had their own name. She bowed to the Master of Metal, before retreating to the exit hastily. The lady had many emotions twirling inside her heart, but Mordekaiser felt nothing but joy.

She felt guilty and a little heart broken.

Garen gave one last look at Mordekaiser before closing the door for the Master of Metal. Mordekaiser himself didn't understand to why the lady left in such a hurry, but nevertheless, it was over. With a sigh of relief, the metal man said to himself,

"Finally. Finally, that woman left..."

…

"...Wait a sec, _MY GUITAR! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-_"

Mordekaiser dreaded the day his precious guitar blew up at the Institute. No First Blood either.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Feedback and reviews are appreciated. It's like drugs. Except... like, really...**

_**Whoaaaaaa~...**_


	3. Return to the Summoner's Rift!

Mordekaiser felt his eyes open, letting him see the boring ceiling. Did he actually sleep? A pleasant surprise, considering how his recent 'performance' with Sona took away his energy. Sleep seemed like a decent choice to regain his energy, and now that he did, it felt good. The Master of Metal yawned with a horrendously loud voice before turning over, his blanket comfortably-

Wait a second, his _blanket?_

Mordekaiser never slept in his bedroom; it was just kind of... there... for him to lie down for a while. He couldn't stand sleeping in beds, so he always slept on his deranged, metallic sofa. So why was he...?

When Mordekaiser turned over, he found Mordekaiser.

"_**GUARGHHHH! OMG**__**!**_"

"_Greetings, Mordekaiser,_" said 'Mordekaiser,' "_I am Morgekaiser, your elder cousin._"

Just when Mordekaiser was about to ask what he was even doing there, another familiar, deep voice echoed behind him. Mordekaiser turned his head to see another Mordekaiser lying next to him,

"_And I am Mordekaiser Junior, your one and only son._"

"_Oh yeah, well_ _**GET OFF OF MY BED, 'SON!'**_ " Both Mordekaisers screamed at Junior. Apparently, even Morgekaiser found Mordekaiser Junior's presence to be strange.

"_Do not fear, Mordekaiser._"

Mordekaiser got up from his bed, which the other Mordekaisers followed perfectly. The three found a naked Mordekaiser covered only by a silver towel.

"_I, Super Mordekaiser, shall rid you of these clones._" Before Super Mordekaiser had a chance to do anything, he was attacked by the guitar of a half-naked Mordekaiser who at least wore _pants_. This Mordekaiser yelled, "_Fool! Mordekaisers create more pain amongst people! And pain __**sustains**__ us! Pentakill!_"

Just when Mordekaiser summoned his mace (which the other two next to him did the exact same thing), the ceiling was torn off by an enormous hand. Every Mordekaiser in the room looked with clear looks of awe and surprise.

There was a giant Mordekaiser with some weird spike sticking out of his crotch armor,

"_**I am... Galactus Mordekaiser. Together, we shall bring suffering over Earth for the heck of it.**_"

And Mordekaiser screamed-

* * *

"_**GUARRRRRRRGH!**_"

Mordekaiser took deep breaths after he woke up. He was on his sofa, like usual. Taking quick looks around him, he made sure that there weren't any 'Mordekaisers' ready to confuse him. After assuring himself that there weren't any of the 'Mordekaisers' from his dream, the (real) Master of Metal sighed in relief. Should there be any more Mordekaisers other than himself, then the Institute would have to worry more than building a monument for him.

"...After all, even I don't know myself that much in some areas."

Shaking his head violently, Mordekaiser decided to wake up fully. Before his 'sleep,' he had been informed by Mercedes that he would participate in a Summoner's Rift match. His summoner was apparently new to the League matches, but Mercedes told the iron man to go easy on the 'youngster.' And Mordekaiser planned, or at least, planned on trying to follow what Mercedes requested him. He _did_ owe Mercedes a favor for some of the things he did for the metallic lord in the past. Also, Mercedes liked the summoner paired up with Mordekaiser, as he claimed that the summoner was quite 'kind.'

"Bah. No one can truly be kind. I guess it was just a figure of speech to say that she was decent."

Mordekaiser checked the clock on a wall in the living room, attempting to ignore the rays of light that plagued his demonic home. One o' clock. Time to go.

* * *

Mordekaiser arrived at the Battle Quarters. The Battle Quarters was, to Mordekaiser, a pointlessly large building where champions who had upcoming games were to be expected at. Many of the colors were consisted of blue, purple, and the one and only 'white.' Taking out the lobby and some of the minor parts of the Quarters, there were ten separate rooms for both summoners and their champions to stay at before the match begins. Mercedes recommended to the Master of Metal to get used to his summoner.

"Hmm... Room Three... well, I guess that means I'm part of the blue team for today. Not that it matters. Ha ha ha..."

Mordekaiser went inside a short hallway before beginning to search for the room. When he found Room Three, he didn't hesitate to slam the door open.

"Ahh... you must be my... _summoner_... I assume?"

Inside, there was a young teenager wearing blue robes. Some of her vibrant, orange hair flowed out of the hood she wore, which covered her eyes from the Master of Metal. She was a little short compared to the average female. The girl tried her best to look formal and pleasing to Mordekaiser's eyes.

"A-Ahem... I-I am very honored to meet you, Master of Metal. I hope we cooperate to defeat the other team."

The girl began to walk forward.

Before tripping.

She landed on her face in a way that made even the man who enjoyed pain cringe. Silence befell over the two of them before the summoner began to show signs of movement again. On her knees, the summoner rubbed her nose regretfully, tears welling up in her eyes. She looked up at Mordekaiser.

"Hue."

The summoner mentally screamed but tried to regain her composure. She already failed to keep a responsibly and respectable image. Standing up again, she held out her hand to Mordekaiser. The Master of Metal reluctantly shook her hand, giving her a weird look. When she let go, he didn't hesitate to let go either. The summoner took a few steps back before staying quiet for a while.

"...So, uh..."

The girl flinched when Mordekaiser began to ask,

"Are you asking for a death wish... or was that a failed attempt in suicide?"

The summoner was on the verge of crying, but she was quite skilled in holding her tears back. She wouldn't lose to him. Not just yet.

"S-...Sorry for... worrying you..."

"No worries, I got my insurance ready in case you manage to kill me. _Outside of the match_."

"..."

The two didn't talk for a while. The girl then mustered up her courage before she said,

"My n-name is C-C-Clementine. Margaret C-Clementine."

Mordekaiser laughed with a terrifyingly loud voice before replying, "Well then, Cuckoo, nice to meet you. I assume you know all of my abilities?"

"Yes..."

"And you know how to farm?"

"Y-Yes..."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. Something was wrong here. Sure, he was actually relieved that a shy summoner decided to summon him, but... something felt really off right at the moment.

"And you know when to be suspicious for ganks?"

"...Y-Yes!"

"...Alright," said Mordekaiser, "at least you _think_ you have a basic idea of how to control me. I'll have to ask, what rank are you? According to information I had gathered personally, summoners have ranks depending on experience. It doesn't matter if you lost many of your games if _I'm_ here, after all! So what're you, anyways? Level twelve? Fifteen? Twenty?"

"Seven..."

…

"Holy, painful shi-"

"_**I'M TRULY SORRY!**_"

"_**YOU BETTER FREAKING BE, CAUSE NOW I DON'T EVEN HAVE **__**IGNITE**__**! OR EXHAUST! GUARGGGHHHH!**_"

Somewhere in the Institute, Mercedes felt a chill run down his spine.

* * *

"Okay, _summoner_, first things first, let me make some things clear. Despite how I look, I am not a tank. Tanks are the ones who get all the damage. Sure, I _could_ play like a tank, but I don't want to feel like a punching bag, so whatever."

Clementine, who was sitting on the floor before him, nodded.

"My passive allows me to harass my enemies easily. Because I'm just that awesome. If I use my abilities on any enemy, then I gain armor. Utilize this, and you'll dominate the lane easily."

The young summoner meekly asked, "But what if you're fighting people like Akali...? She's going to be coming to the middle lane."

Mordekaiser blankly stared at the summoner for a while, scaring her in the process. He then laughed in a very, _very_ creepy manner.

"Listen, Cuckoo- I mean, Clementine, you're probably thinking, _'Oh, she could go invisible, better run when she does.'_ But this is simply what Akali and her summoner _wants_ you to think."

Clementine's eyes widened in surprise. Clearly the reaction of a newbie.

"If you have played your cards right, then you have either killed her once or the lane was evenly pushed. When I gain my ultimate skill, then _it's time to kill her_. After maxing out my passive's armor with my Mace of Spades and Siphon of Destruction using the minions, wait until my Siphon gets out of cooldown. If she charges in, use my Mace of Spades. If she goes invisible, focus my Siphon at the middle of the invisibility radius. It's a win-win situation thanks to my armor. Since you have no ignite, use my ultimate as a replacement. Remember to use it when she has less than two blocks of health, as I can't see how much health they have."

Clementine nodded before bowing respectfully to the Master of Metal, "Thank you. I will remember this tip."

"Remember, ward the rivers. Anyways, in the middle of the match, Akali _will_ get stronger. At this point, you will have to be on constant alert for any junglers. Speaking of which, are there any junglers in the enemy team?"

"U-Uhh, there was none."

"Man, thank the Institute for making this a set draft pick instead of a normal draft pick. Anyways, since there's no jungle, just push."

"...J-Just... push?"

"Yep. Unless an enemy champion goes missing in action."

"But... but what if I make a mistake? What if I get you k-killed?"

Mordekaiser closed the distance between him and the summoner before growling, "_That. Won't. Be. Happening._"

Clementine felt a tear roll down her left cheek. There was no way this guy would show mercy if she failed.

When the Master of Metal saw the tear, he sighed before wiping it away with a gargantuan hand. "Tears only make you look weak. Never cry, never die. Trust my power, summoner."

Clementine blinked a few times before wiping away the rest of her tears.

"I doubt he knew about your level, but... Mercedes recommended you to _me_ for a very good reason. We _will_ win this game, and both of us will share the same glory of epicness. That is, heh, if you wish to give yours to me."

The girl nodded, though she was curious to what the reason was. He didn't plan on telling her, but Mordekaiser could see why Mercedes wants him to stick with this summoner. Sure, she had a terrible level, and she was crushingly meek, but there was one good attribute of hers.

She was one of the few that will hear him out. And _try hard for him._ After all, who else would summon Mordekaiser? Jesus? The Master of Metal had a feeling that he would enjoy this match more than he intended to. He also had a gut feeling that this girl wasn't as one-sided and boring as she currently looked. And not to mention, but Mercedes was always right. And if he was right, then he really didn't need to worry about anything in the first place.

A loud voice announced outside of the room, "_Attention all summoners and champions, prepare for the Summoner's Rift match. It shall begin in thirty seconds._"

Mordekaiser grinned.

"_Time to shred._"


	4. Die Hard, Mordekaiser!

The Summoner's Rift; the most known and used battlefield in the League of Legends. With a vast landscape and the overall strategic layout, the Rift pits a team of five champions against another. Both citizens and summoners alike cheer in the sidelines, looking through large orbs that acted as televisions. As the names of the champions and their summoners began to come up, people roared, giddy with the fact that the all-stars are being pit against each other.

The champions' summoners were all brought into two, empty rooms; one for each team. This was to allow the summoners to make plans amongst themselves. Clementine took a deep breath as she stared into her own orb of vision. She would do her best and not let her personality get in her way. The girl wanted, at the very least, a decent game. Mordekaiser needed to trust her if she wanted his full command and attention in the League matches.

Mordekaiser's appearance brought a mixed reaction. On one hand, some of the audience went silent before questioning about his presence. Others obliviously cheered for him, unaware that he was absent from the League matches for six whole months. The Master of Metal cracked his neck before exercising his shoulders. His team consisted of Ashe, Garen, Sona, himself, and...

...Hecarim?

Mordekaiser froze when he saw the horseman, who shared the same reaction. After moments of simply staring at each other, the two laughed before shaking each others' hands violently; like how all Shadow Isles people do.

"_Hecarim!_ How on Runeterra did you get here? I thought I'd never see you again, bud!"

"_Mordekaiser!_ I was about to ask the same thing. When they sent a messenger, whom I punished for hugging my legs without permission, I came here, looking for stuff to kill."

"Bah, you and I do share some interests, after all!"

As the two laughed like madmen, Ashe, the Frost Archer, shivered at the mere sight of Mordekaiser laughing. She was a princess of Freljord, a feared leader, and yet, she felt... afraid... just by feeling the Master of Metal's presence. Taking a deep breath, she decided to focus on buying her items. The summoners and their champions had their minds linked together during the League matches, so quick communication was possible.

_'Umm... Mordekaiser?'_

"What the- oh, yes, yes. And add a 'lord' next to my name. What is it... _summoner?_"

Hecarim stifled, barely hiding his laughter, as Mordekaiser grinned at the deadly horseman. As rulers and best friends from Shadow Isles, they really _did_ share many interests.

_'L-Lord Mordekaiser, for some sustain, I'd like you to buy a Rejuvenation Bead and five health potions.'_

"Huh? But what about the- oh yeah, there's no jungler. Hec, jungle's all yours. I'll help you out clearing the wolves, though."

"Yeah, yeah," said Hecarim in a carefree fashion, "go, go, s'more, m'kay?"

Mordekaiser followed exactly what his summoner told him to do. He, along with Garen, entered the blue team's jungle to help the Shadow of War claim his golem buff.

The audience found it awkward to see the Might of Demacia standing next to two monstrous looking beings in one bush. Garen felt sweat trickle down his skin as the Shadow Isles rulers continued to share some of their previous matches in the League of Legends. However, while they were bickering amongst themselves, the noble warrior found something suspicious. He unsheathed his sword, getting Mordekaiser's and Hecarim's attentions.

"_Invasion,_" whispered Garen. The two Shadow Isles looked at each other before grinning. They fell silent, waiting for commands from their summoners. Currently, the other side's team was consisted of Akali, Riven, Darius, Soraka, and Pantheon. It was highly likely that Riven, Darius, and Akali were trying to invade Hecarim's jungle. However, all three of the blue team champions knew the error of the invasion.

The purple team's champions should've never invade. Especially when champions with _sustain_ was in the blue team's jungle.

Mordekaiser stayed close to the edge of the bush, ready to initiate the battle. The purple team's champions were running around, attempting to find Hecarim and kill him. The Master of Metal grinned, realizing that these summoners were inexperienced in invading. He then prepared his Siphon of Destruction. When Riven, Darius, and Akali grouped up together, he cast the Siphon without hesitation.

Hecarim charged in with his Rampage, while Garen spun his way in with his iconic Judgement skill. Caught by surprise, the purple team champions attempted to escape, knowing that it was a losing battle. Riven, having no useful abilities to repel the champions right at the moment, was forced to retreat with a Flash. Darius prepared his blades before he spun around, but his blow dealt no damage to Mordekaiser. When the Noxian warrior began to flee, Garen and Hecarim struck him at once, taking a chunk of his health off. The Hand of Noxus eventually fled, limping on his way. Akali was nowhere to be seen.

Laughing with glee, Mordekaiser felt giddy. Soon enough, they would fall before him. And then he would start to slay his enemies. Claiming their souls would satisfy his hunger for souls-

_Wait a minute, I'm getting a little too ahead of myself._

Mordekaiser shook his head to wake up from his blissful vision. Eventually, after killing the wolves, Hecarim got his golem buff. Mordekaiser left the jungle before heading back to the middle lane. Clementine had told him that Akali returned to her lane, which was something that made him smile. With a wide grin that could not be seen by anyone, the Master of Metal arrived at his lane. He planned on dominating the area. It had been a long time since he had fought in this lane, so there was bound to be some mistakes he and his summoner might make, but judging by the invasion's outcome, he was certain that he would beat the pesky ninja in a duel.

Akali tried to farm on minions. She wanted to get ahead of the metal monster to kill him early. However, every time she got too close, Mordekaiser would harass her with his Siphon of Destruction. Due to this, she was forced to use her ranged abilities to either hit her opponent or a minion. The process looped until she lost over half of her current health. Mordekaiser, on the other hand, had more than three-fourths of her health thanks to his passive ability, Iron Man. They would recall once in a while when the minions pushed far enough.

When both of the champions gained their ultimate abilities, Akali charged in with a Shadow Dance. She then used her Twilight Shroud, making her invisible. However, her plan backfired. Mordekaiser had picked up an Oracle's Elixir on his way, allowing him to see her in the shroud. He used his Siphon of Destruction on Akali before charging in with a Mace of Spades. When she began to run away, Mordekaiser telepathically asked his summoner,

_'Summoner! Is there anyone missing in action?!'_

_'Umm... n-no! There's no one!'_

Mordekaiser grinned. It was time.

The Master of Metal let out a roar as he cursed the ninja with one of the most feared ultimate skills in the League of Legends; Children of the Grave. Akali gasped as a painful plague went through her body, weakening her while strengthening Mordekaiser. She wanted to run. She wanted to escape. But her energy failed her. Just when she fell on her knees near her turret. Mordekaiser cackled maniacally as he jumped towards her.

What was left was the lifeless corpse of his enemy. And a bloody mace.

"_First blood,_" muttered Mordekaiser with a smile. Clementine, despite being happy for the first blood, shuddered. The metal man did love spreading pain.

Mordekaiser used his new ghost pet to destroy the purple team's turret. No one stopped him, for they were too occupied with their own businesses. After all, with Hecarim roaming around in _their_ jungle, the purple team couldn't stop being cautious. The Master of Metal _recalled_ back to his base before buying some items that increased his ability power and life steal capabilities. When he arrived at his lane once more, however, he found a different opponent. An opponent that never came to his mind when he was in the middle lane.

"_My spirit is not lost,_" whispered Riven before she stepped away from her turret.

* * *

Mordekaiser felt cautious around the champion. He had never- and by never, _never_ fought or knew about her. The Master of Metal desperately needed to know what she was capable of.

_'Summoner! This... white-haired girl is already getting on my nerves... even though we didn't even start fighting... What is she capable of?'_

_'Riven? U-Uhh, I know that she has this three-hit combo that could knock you up in the air for a while. She could also dash to her opponents and stun them. Her ultimate skill reforges her broken blade and allows her to send use Wind Slash. She's a fighter, and her stun could be very dangerous; especially to you... Lord Mordekaiser.'_

Mordekaiser merely laughed at that last statement.

_'A stun? By the time she stuns me, she'll have to start running, because I'm a level higher than her.'_

_'I-I see! I shall trust in your power!'_

Clementine confused Mordekaiser in many aspects, and this trust of hers was one of them. Then again, this trust is something he should utilize to teach her how to become good. _Mordekaiser_ good.

Still, the Master of Metal couldn't help but find himself intimidated by the champion in front of him. Not only did her summoner have Ignite and Flash, but Riven's abilities were tools that the iron man shouldn't take lightly. His words sent to the summoner was only for comfort. Previous experiences taught him that he should never take _any_ champion without a serious mindset unless they're really stupid.

Meanwhile, Riven was confused. The metal hulk, who was feared by nearly everyone in the League of Legends, was standing deep in thought. He had stayed like that for a whole minute now. Was he trying to lure her in by staying idle? She did not fear him, for a battle with a fighter like him would be honorable. However, she didn't want to lose right at the moment. The Exile cleared the minions, letting her minions head directly towards the Master of Metal.

"...Wait," asked Mordekaiser to himself as he woke up from his train of thoughts, "did I really just stand here thinking for minutes?"

…

"_GUARGGGHHH!_ I'll just unleash my rage on these pests!"

Mordekaiser used his Mace of Spades on the melee strikers. After ensuring that his Mace of Spades worked, he used his Siphon to instantly kill off the minions at once. Riven flinched in surprise, but a few seconds was all she needed to forget about it. She had seen Twisted Fate do something more devastating to minions. And not to mention, but he's just killing _minion__s__, _not champions. The Exile felt the Master of Metal's gaze turn to her. Her courage allowed her to stand still with a straight face. Mordekaiser merely chuckled before charging in.

Riven dashed in before using her Ki Burst to stun Mordekaiser. Her Broken Wings brought down both Mordekaiser's Iron Man and some of his real health. Using Blade of the Exile, she reformed her blade to blast him away with Wind Slash. Riven knew that she'd be able to either kill Mordekaiser or make him retreat.

Mordekaiser proved her wrong.

The Master of Metal used his Mace of Spades once more. The blow was heavy and painful for the frail Riven. He then cast Creeping Death on himself before using his Siphon of Destruction to deal an unexpected amount of damage. The Exile felt pain spread throughout her entire body, but she still stood, ready to fight. With little amount of health left, Mordekaiser knew that she was all his. Walking up to her, he cast Children of the Grave on the defeated champion, who became-

_'Umm, Mordekaiser, your ultimate is still on cooldown.'_

_'**WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?!**'_

Mordekaiser looked back at Riven, who had begun to retreat. Sighing, he was about to walk back to his turret when he heard many war cries. Turning around, he found four champions ready to obliterate him.

Boy, he would've been rusted iron if his summoner didn't have the _Ghost_ spell.

"Gotta go fast," said Mordekaiser with the face of a grinning troll. He could only laugh more when he heard Darius cry out in frustration.

Meanwhile, as Riven _recalled_ to her base, she had a mix of emotions swirling inside her. Unlike Garen, who was notorious when it came to surprise 'bush' attacks, Mordekaiser had no need to stay inside a bush to have an advantage. The Master of Metal's title wasn't there for no reason; he truly was a master when it came to both close-combat and utilizing metal. The shards from his Creeping Death left wounds on her arms, his mace was just painful to _touch_, and his Siphon could pop out of nowhere. Literally.

If he had all of his abilities before fighting...

_It surely was my loss._

Riven could only grin. Finally, she had met a fighter threatening enough for her.

* * *

Mordekaiser literally ran for kills. After claiming his 'homeguard-move-really-fast-boots,' the metal ruler of Shadow Isles began joining every team fight. Hecarim's ganks in both the top and bottom lanes made him an indestructible pile of suffering and sustain, Ashe's Enchanted Crystal Arrow basically forced her stunned enemies to be cursed by Mordekaiser, Garen's damage output was insane, and Sona kept the team up and going without having to return to their base.

The Master of Metal stayed in the middle of the Summoner's Rift, waiting for his team to catch up. His teammates were all currently at the base buying items. Tapping his foot impatiently, he mumbled to himself, "Now where could they have gone, hmm?"

Then something went wrong.

"_A summoner has been disconnected!_"

"...What," said Mordekaiser with a dark look, "why would Sona's summoner leave the match?"

"_A summoner has been disconnected!_"

"H-Huh? What the?!"

"_A summoner has been disconnected!_"

"_A summoner has been disconnected!_"

The Master of Metal simply stood in the middle of the map before retreating back to his base. He ran and ran in desperation, forgetting about _recalling_ and wanting to know what had happened. His team was doing so well- so _bloody_ well, and now they simply left him all by himself? When Mordekaiser arrived at his base, he heard Clementine whisper in fear,

_'L-Lord Mordekaiser... I-I'm... really scared...!'_

_'Summoner! What is the meaning of this?! What's going on back there?!'_

He heard his summoner sniff before hearing something dreadful.

_'My allies... my friends... they're not breathing at all...!'_

Mordekaiser froze deathly still. Gone? No, surely, they weren't gone. There must've been some sort of mistake. Surely, no one would go around killing summoners during a Summoner's Rift match, right? It had to be something that had to do with their stupid little orbs burning their eyes out or something. Mordekaiser didn't- no, he couldn't take it, but he knew the truth of the current situation.

He was alone. He was the last one standing, and his summoner's dear friends would not wake up. The champions were in the respawn point, and all of them were knocked unconscious. However, he would still finish the game for his team.

No, he would finish the game for himself.

* * *

When the other team heard of the disconnections, they were both confused and somewhat happy. Darius sighed before grinning, claiming that one enemy champion would obviously mean total domination. Pantheon let out a war cry before spazzing out about how the game won't 'end gloriously' now, and Akali simply sharpened her kamas, ready to pent her frustration out on the enemy Nexus. Soraka tried to calm down the champions' excitement. Riven, however, didn't need any lessons. The Exile simply looked afar, taking a wild guess at who the remaining champion is. She didn't really want this to happen.

_This isn't fair._

Gripping her blade tightly, Riven began to follow her team, who had begun to charge in. They wanted to end this quickly since the purple team's Nexus turrets were destroyed. When they arrived at the blue team's base, they began to tank turrets. Darius had enough health to destroy one turret by himself, and so did Pantheon. As the turrets fell apart, Riven noticed something strange. Even though there was only one champion left, the blue team wouldn't surrender.

As they began destroying the blue team's base turrets, Riven sensed that the remaining champion had a plan. The purple team was progressing too easily. When they destroyed the last turret outside of the blue team's base, realization struck.

_'Summoner,'_ asked Riven telepathically to her summoner, _'is there anyone in our base?'_

It took a few moments for the dreaded reply to come,

_'T-There is! Someone's in our base!'_

The five champions froze. They were tricked by a simple time trick. The remaining blue team champion had waited for the right time to invade their base. When they began to recall, it was too late.

Mordekaiser had destroyed the Nexus, ending the game.

* * *

When the blue team won, everyone was sent back to the Battle Quarters. Apparently, there was some sort of malfunction in the mind-links between the champions and their summoners. Clementine was the only one whose level was far from 'experienced,' which was presumably the reason why she wasn't affected. The blue team champions eventually regained their consciousness.

Mordekaiser had returned to the Champions' Break, feeling extremely bored. The lives of the summoners were not his to tinker around with, and even if he did, he would find no fun in it. After all, Mercedes would become very disappointed with the Master of Metal, and if _he_ became disappointed, it really was _something_. Sighing, the Mordekaiser jumped on his comfy sofa before turning on his television. His television set didn't run through electricity; it was like any other television that ran through magic. Just when he was about to change the channel, he found a letter soaring into his open window.

_Hmm? A letter? For me? O' de le joy._

Mordekaiser snatched the letter from the air before opening it up. Boy, he absolutely despised paper. The darn thing wouldn't open easily. After taking a moment to open up the letter, the iron man took out and read its contents,

_Dear Lord Mordekaiser,_

_You rocked! My friends are okay, so no need to worry... if it did worry you. I look forward to summoning you again!_

_Clementine_

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow before tossing the letter next to him. At least he had _someone_ who respected him a lot.

"...Oh well, time to troll some noobs. Like the boss I am. After all, I'm feeling good after outsmarting five champions by myself. Hue hue hue! _Ha ha ha!_"

And so, Mordekaiser productively spent his time playing video games. Unbeknownst to him, a nine-tailed fox arrived at his doorstep.


	5. Think Fast, Mordekaiser!

_Mordekaiser stood amongst his legions of undead soldiers. They were trained in return for large portions of time spent on them, and the training was worth it. A small amount of his soldiers were capable of destroying a large army. Impressive, if someone asked how great his paramount army was. So after many battles, Mordekaiser had set his eyes on the largest and most powerful army he had seen yet. Determination in his eyes, he raised his mace before roaring a battle cry. Followed by many other battle cries that came from his troops, the Master of Metal charged at the enemy base before him. Paladins were powerful when it came to slaying the undead, but with the equipment his fighters had, Mordekaiser knew that the undead stood a chance against the holy knights._

_The Master of Metal clashed weapons with a paladin captain, while the iron man's troops faced the holy warrior's army. Adrenaline rushed throughout Mordekaiser's body as he fought the captain. Unlike any other captain he had met, this knight was capable of blocking the Master of Metal's attacks and actually hurting him. This brought excitement to the iron man, as he had desperately wanted a challenging fight. At one point of the battle, Mordekaiser jumped over the paladin captain before doing a front flip. During the flip, he let his mace stick out from his body, smashing the holy knight in the process. Landing on his feet, the iron man knew that the battle was over._

_However, it wasn't._

_When he saw the paladin captain charge back at him, Mordekaiser barely had the chance to save himself from a lethal blow. Blocking a powerful slash sent by the paladin's gargantuan sword, Mordekaiser could feel scratches at the side of his neck. He was kicked away from the powerful fighter. However, the paladin knew better than to charge at the Master of Metal. The two knew that no one had an advantage in this battle._

_Mordekaiser smiled devilishly, while the paladin captain chuckled. It had been a **long** time since Mordekaiser was actually intimidated by an opponent. He swung his mace before leaping towards the paladin knight, who braced himself with a defensive position. But just when he landed, instead of striking, Mordekaiser smashed the ground, catching the paladin off guard. With a mighty swing, he struck the paladin right in the chest. But that wasn't enough to kill the holy knight. After landing on his feet, the paladin's eyes glowed before he fired a large beam of light at Mordekaiser, who took the blow._

_Then the two realized that the battle would never end._

_Mordekaiser asked for the paladin's name, who went by Adrian. The holy knight then called out for his army, telling them to retreat. Without hesitation, the troops fled while keeping a close eye on the undead warriors, who had also begun to retreat. The paladin and the Master of Metal turned their backs on each other before they began to walk away. They would surely meet again once more, and when they did, they would attempt to decide who was truly stronger._

_After returning to his massive kingdom, the Master of Metal_ (**knock**)_ planned out an ambush on a native group _(**knock**)._ This group was beginning to become a problem for his deranged, insane citizens, and that wasn't good news for the violent Mordekaiser. He created strategies _(**knock**)_, making routes for where to enter the-_

* * *

"_HUARGHHHHHH!_ Stop knocking on my freaking door!"

Mordekaiser threw his controller on his sofa, making loud noises in the process. He couldn't handle it whenever someone hit his door. Just when he was about to pick up his controller, he heard a muffled, feminine voice yell out from the door,

"_Knock knock!_"

Mordekaiser rolled his eyes before he summoned his mace.

"Who's there?"

"Ahri!"

"Ahri who?"

"Ahri!"

"_...Ahri who?_"

At this point, Mordekaiser was clutching his mace, ready to bust the door open before smashing whoever was at the doorstep.

"Ahri! Don't you know me?"

The Master of Metal sighed and shook his head before replying, "Six months was more than enough to make me forget. And many champions had joined the League of Legends during my absense."

A brief silence fell over the two.

"...Ahri!"

Mordekaiser rushed over to the door before slamming it open. He lifted his mace over his head before he prepared to swing it down on whoever was in front of him. At the last moment, however, he stopped, barely preventing the weapon from obliterating his target. In front of him was some girl that looked quite... different... from others. Not that anyone looked similar, but she had a different aura and presence. She had strange fox ears sticking out of her dark hair, mystic eyes that seemed to glow with life (and yellow), and traditional clothing from wherever she came from. Her nine tails had appeared the instant moment Mordekaiser made his sudden appearance.

"Whoa... you look as dangerous as people said you look..." whispered the fox girl, who was simply fascinated and a little frightened at his intimidating appearance.

"And they're as wimpy as they look," muttered Mordekaiser. "Now tell me, what business do you have with me? I understood Garen's concern for the Maven of Strings, but you seem like as if you don't have... any concern... for anything at all."

"Hey, hey! Are you what they say you are; a _piece of armor?_ 'Cause if you are, that'd be so wicked and amazing!"

Ahri had completely ignored Mordekaiser's question, causing the Master of Metal's fists tremble in sheer anger. However, he knew better than to murder the girl. Right at this instant, at least.

"As a matter of fact, I'm not a piece of armor. Sorry to disappoint you, but I clearly look human in the inside."

The Master of Metal began to take off his helmet. Ahri felt excitement and curiosity rise in her as the iron man took off the piece of armor. And underneath the helmet was...

...another helmet.

Ahri's jaw dropped, and her mouth stayed open as Mordekaiser put his 'helmet' back on.

"...What? Charmed? Oh well, none of your interests are of my concern. Begone with you!"

Just when Mordekaiser was about to shut the door, Ahri tugged at his armor. Boy, it felt weird whenever someone did that.

"W-Wait! I mean, I'm really bored right at the moment, and, uh, all of the champions are busy right at the moment. I wanna talk with you about something, actually!"

The iron man simply raised an eyebrow at this. "_All?_ Girl, you must be mad. Champions are usually not simultaneously busy unless they're participating in a group event."

"Y-Yeah, that's where I come in."

"Come again?"

"..."

Mordekaiser smashed his mace onto the ground below him before crouching to face the fox girl at an equal height. Ahri flinched when the Master of Metal sneered in a somewhat taunting tone,

"Don't tell me... they're having a _party_... and you weren't invited? So we have another loner here, eh? Hue hue hue..."

"Hey! I... well... actually, err, I kinda got kicked out."

"...How, exactly?"

Ahri frowned before she stared at the ground below the two of them. "It's a long story, which is why I felt like telling someone. You happened to be the only one available right at the moment."

* * *

Ahri was sitting on a steel chair before Mordekaiser, who had rotated and sat on his metallic sofa. The place amazed her, and it was hard to believe that the iron man modified the entire room by himself. But then again, he _was_ the Master of Metal.

"So let me try summarizing what you just said. You were spending time flirting with Talon du Couteau before receiving an invitation to a party held by the Demacians. Then, when you arrived at the party, Tryndamere checked whether you had permission to join the party or not. Since you had the letter, he let you inside. Then, being an arrogant, bad fox girl you are, you started to flirt with other men before teasing the _ladies_ as well. When many started to despise your presence, you were kicked out by Jarvan IV. And now, here you are, sitting before me."

"Y-You didn't have to say it so bluntly! And yes... that's pretty much what happened."

Ahri sighed, her nine tails touching the ground. She had curled up into a ball as she mumbled, "It's not like I wanted make the women mad... or frighten the men..."

"Well," said the Master of Metal as he opened a can of soda, "you _did_ flirt with Tryndamere, which made Ashe angry. And not to mention, but you just _had_ to do the same thing with Garen, who has, unbeknownst to him, the most _frustrating_ harem ever."

Ahri's eyes widened in surprise at the last part, but she decided not to touch that subject right at the moment. Her spark of interest died away quickly, being replaced with a guilty expression.

"Yeah... it really was my fault..."

Mordekaiser eyed her with an unreadable expression before drinking his soda. After taking a huge gulp, the Master of Metal slammed the can next to him, frightening Ahri with its echoes.

"So now you want me to help you gain their forgiveness?"

"H-Huh? Oh, yes! I mean, sure, I can't help spending time with men and teasing them, but... it's mainly because of my past habits. I needed to use my orb, which allowed me to steal their essence while they're attracted to me, in order to stay human. It's just... habits, you know?"

"Hmm... well, here's my thought about this particular topic; explain. You haven't explained yet, right?"

"Yep. I'm... scared. Scared that they'll see me in a negative light. I don't want to break my relations with my new found friends, after all..."

"Well, if you stay like this, when time passes, you'll eventually have _no_ friends at all."

Mordekaiser stood up before cracking his knuckles. He then started to crack his neck. Confused and slightly intimidated by the sudden acts of preparation, Ahri asked, "What... are you exactly doing, anyways?"

The Master of Metal looked at her as if she were stupid.

"Why, of course! About to make a chance for you to explain."

Ahri felt terror when Mordekaiser snatched her away from her seat.

* * *

"...and so I went like... '_HUARGHHHHHH!_' And the fool in front of me simply stood still like a bear having its honey stolen! No, really, the lad looked like this!"

Tryndamere imitated an unfortunate thief's reaction at his visually terrifying _Undying Rage_, which made the others at his table laughed. Garen Crownguard could only chuckle, but it surely was an accomplishment, for he wasn't one to laugh that much when it came to visually funny jokes. The Demacian leaned back on his chair, enjoying the peace. The Champions' Break had a large garden in it, and that allowed parties to be held. These fun events would occur very frequently, as the champions _loved_ to play around outside of the League matches. He especially liked the fact that his sister would spend time with her friends. Though he might not be experienced when it came to keeping his friendships with others fresh, he was always concerned for Luxanna Crownguard.

Just when he opened his eyes, he heard a scream from above.

Standing straight, he knocked over some dishes and cups. The rest at his table were about to complain before seeing a terrifying sight that hadn't come to the Break for months. Tryndamere could only growl in rage at the spectacle above, while Xin Zhao took out a spear out of nowhere. Master Yi had walked next to Garen. They were always partners when it came to bringing down things that could cause chaos or terror, so it was only natural for the bladesman to appear right at this moment.

At the very top of the Champions' Break building, Mordekaiser stood tall and proud, grabbing Ahri by her clothes. Anyone could see that she was frightened out of her mind. Ashe prepared an Enchanted Frost Arrow before she was stopped by Sejuani, another princess of Freljord.

"Don't. You might hit the building itself. You might kill the _girl_."

Ashe could only cancel her powerful ability with a grim expression.

"_Champions! You have made a mortal mistake,_" cried Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal, as he shook Ahri violently, "_you have left me with this... trash. A burden. A pile of flesh... along with __**me**__. I, Mordekaiser, am terribly annoyed and angered by this weakling's presence, and I am not afraid to throw her off of this damned building!_"

As Mordekaiser lifted her over the edge of the building, many champions gasped. Morgana took out two deadly looking muffins... before wondering why she brought them out. Some of the champions gave her a weird look.

"Eh," said the Fallen Angel with a bored expression, "I like cooking. Do not let it bother you mortals."

Nidalee gritted her teeth before she violently yelled, "_Well, damned be you! Let her go or I shall-_"

"_What,_" taunted Mordekaiser, his deadly, glowing eyes squinting towards the lady, "_poke at my armor? It is clearly all of you champions' faults that I found her wandering in my room, wandering around like a baffoon who lost its eyes. And it is clear that punishment is __**inevitable!**_"

Hecarim screamed with joy, "**_Will there be suffering?!_**"

Everyone fell silent. Except for the denizens of Shadow Isles, many seemed to be horrified by his question.

Mordekaiser grinned before he nodded, "_There will be suffering. __**Lots of it**_. _Though, I'm pretty sure someone's gonna catch her anyways... what a disappointment._"

Ahri gave the iron man a pleading look. All she had wanted was for some advice, and now she was on the verge of death. Her playful attitude had gone away at this point, for she was scared. Terribly scared. To think that all of this happened in less than an hour... it frightened her.

"M-M-Mordekaiser, was it? I... _I'm scared!_ Please, spare me... I...I won't bother you again! I swear! Really! S-Sorry for asking you pointless things...! I really shouldn't have..."

The Master of Metal turned his head, his eyes gazing into hers. And then, she found something unexpected.

His eyes had... softened. And so had his grip on her.

"Don't worry," muttered the hulking, metal man, "my plans always work."

Ahri then realized why he was doing this in the first place. Just before she opened her mouth to say something, Mordekaiser let go.

She was silent when her crash course began. Wind rushed past her body at a dangerous speed. She felt as if she was flying... to her death. The fox girl, however, had small parts of her that relieved her. Though the time spent with each other was short, Ahri found something interesting about the Master of Metal. He may look tough, and he may behave violently, but there was something...

...something that made him respectable.

He was sacrificing his image for her sake. And for that, she could only respect how far this iron man went for her in a matter of minutes.

Like Mordekaiser had said, someone did catch her. Resting in the arms of Master Yi, she opened her eyes. Champions were surrounding her, but instead of the disgusted and annoyed looks they had earlier, they showed signs of worry and care. And then, she couldn't help it. She began to cry.

She would explain to them why she had become the person she was now.

* * *

Days eventually passed by, and the event spike in the garden had eventually settled. Mordekaiser sat on his sofa like usual, staring at the television before him. He had ruined his image even more, but he didn't mind at all. In fact, he deliberately told the fox girl to not tell the champions of what he had really planned on. All that mattered were the League matches, and the matches only. And some fun at the Break. He was so used to being alone that he had zero interest in getting along with other champions by his own will. Heck, if they wanted to be friends, they'd have to _try hard_.

Ahri was... well, doing good. Her image had turned from perverted to bubbly, and many began to treat her better than usual. She was even invited to some sleepovers held by other women, and of course, she had gladly accepted all of them. The fox girl didn't forget about Mordekaiser, though. She would visit him quite frequently, bothering him even more. However, she still felt awkward whenever Mordekaiser began to get angry at her endless bickering, so she tried to stop herself when the times called for it. Her frequent visits did seem to give Mordekaiser a somewhat decent preview of how bubbly... or annoyingly seductive... some of the champions would be.

The Master of Metal sighed before opening another can of soda, letting out a loud 'hiss' come out from it. He drank it before mumbling,

"Well, guess that's one problem solved... will that calm you down, old man Mercedes?"

Mordekaiser placed the can next to him before simply staring at the ceiling above him. No Rift matches... no killing stuff. Guess it was time to productively spend time with video games!

Just when the Master of Metal turned on his favorite gaming console, he heard someone knocking on his door.

"Grr-... come in. And remember to knock once, next time!"

The door opened, revealing Master Yi, the Wuju Bladesman. Now _this_ was something to be confused about. At least, that was what Mordekaiser thought.

"Hmm? What would bring a Master in the arts of Wuju enter my room?"

Master Yi walked up to Mordekaiser before telling him, "Master of Metal, I require your assistance to help a friend of mine."

"Huh?...

...

_...CAN'T YOU SEE I JUST HOOKED UP MY CONSOLE, BUB?!_"

"Please, as angry as you may be, I'm frustrated with the current situation."

"And what might that be," muttered Mordekaiser at a dangerously low voice, "_master?_"

"Garen Crownguard... he needs a bodyguard."

Mordekaiser froze deathly still.

"_And...?_"

"I request of you to become his bodyguard for three days due to the dangerous women interested in him. Mercedes, your former contract-summoner, told me that if you won't help, then he will feed you burritos with wasabi, whipped cream, and hydrochloric acid as its toppings."

A large scream could be heard coming from the Champions' Break,

"_**WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!**_"

* * *

**Author's Notes: Next up is – ''Body-Guardekaiser!"**

**Feedback is always appreciated. Also, this next chapter will take an insanely long amount of time, so please be patient with me. Contract-summoners will be explained in the next chapter.**


	6. Body-Guardekaiser!

Contract-summoners. They were different from normal summoners, and their tasks required their utmost dedication to supporting one champion for a set amount of time. These summoners would form contracts with champions so that they could be paired up with them in League matches. It was quite complex, but despite this, many summoners formed contracts due to their love for both the champions and their abilities in the League of Legends. In Mordekaiser's case, he used to have Mercedes as his contract-summoner. But now that their contract was over, Mercedes and Mordekaiser didn't see each other that much. And not to mention, but the summoner had aged.

Yes, his times spent with Mercedes was very fun and enjoyable.

_Not like this pile of mess I got caught in._

The Master of Metal stood before Garen Crownguard, who was next to Master Yi. The three were inside the Demacian's dormitory. Mordekaiser couldn't help but eye the one posted that had a familiar Maven of Strings in a bikini.

_I don't get it- wasn't he a sis-con? Like, at a **DEMACIA** level?_

"Uh, Garen, heh heh... as you may know, I looked for people capable of guarding you during your Champions' Break examination session, and... I introduce you Mordekaiser. He shall be your bodyguard for three days- exactly the amount of time needed for the session to be finished."

Garen, who was wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans, simply raised an eyebrow at this. Clearly, he didn't understand why Yi wanted someone to _guard_ him for a relatively tame job. "Master Yi, I appreciate your concern, but... _why?_ I'm capable of bringing down trouble by myself, so I don't understand where your concerns are exactly coming from."

"Crownguard," muttered Mordekaiser, who had no intentions of being forced to eat poisoned burritos, "with my recent arrival, things have... uh, _stirred up_, if I put it simply. There's some complicated things that I have overheard, though I'm not telling you. Or Yi."

The Wuju Bladesman nodded calmly, sealing any hints of suspicious intentions. The Might of Demacia put up a thinking pose, calmly contemplating on his bed.

"Hmm... alright. If you insist this much, then I shall take your offer. I needed some company, anyways- pretty lonely if you do an entire examination by yourself, don't you think? Ha ha ha!"

The Demacian laughed heartily. Mordekaiser blankly stared at him.

_Garen loves company._

…

…

_...but I don't swing that way. Man, this bub might be more messed up than me!_

* * *

**Building Checkup**

"Vases... check. Benches... check. Flowers... need more flowers. Swords... definitely more swords."

Mordekaiser followed the Might of Demacia with a bored expression. They were currently on the first floor, checking up on the main halls. The personal dorms were not to be checked, as the champions in them were to do their own managing. So far, no one suspicious had popped up yet, but there was something that really bothered Mordekaiser; the halls and lobbies were, strangely enough, very empty. And it always stayed that way. No matter how many times he enters the lobbies or halls, there were either very little people or none at all. Very boring for a man who loved inflicting pain.

"The ground... not damaged. Fountains... needs more designs, in my opinion. Sona's room... haven't checked up here, yet."

Mordekaiser nodded in agreement.

Wait.

"The maven's room? What about it?"

"Huh?"

Garen turned to face the Master of Metal, who was giving him a weird look. Silence befell over the two. Then, the Demacian's face flushed in embarrassment, realizing that someone was with him in the examination session this time.

"O-Oh! Nothing, it's just that... uh- _oh yeah!_ Sometimes, there are plucked strings or hair around her doorstep. See? Just like this one."

Garen picked up something. Indeed, it was a string, though how the Demacian mentioned the maven's room made Mordekaiser's curiosity literally explode.

"Are you sure," asked Mordekaiser with a taunting voice, "that you're _really_ talking about what you're talking about?"

The Might of Demacia stiffened at his words. "W-What- no, it's really not what you're talking about! Heh heh!"

"Huh..."

Mordekaiser nodded before the two began to move again. No words were exchanged between the two as they walked along.

...

"..._Okay,_" exclaimed Garen silently, surprising the Master of Metal, "_I do have another reason!_"

"Oh ho, thinking about going '_Pimpguard_' with your _crownguard_ tonight? That escalated quickly."

"Shut up! Anyways, Sona... she's..."

Mordekaiser crossed his arms, clearly amused at the knight's emotional attitude. He had known the Demacian to be a man who knew nothing about love, and it'd be fun to torture him revolving around the subject. After all, he always knew how to bring pain. _Lots_ of it.

"Sona... she's quite... beautiful, you know? The way she looks up at you with that aura of her's if you get close to her... that relaxing sensation just by being next to her... gah, why am I even telling you this?!"

"Hmm, you actually do have a point there, Crownguard."

"...Eh?"

"You are clearly after her lovely, melodic strings."

…

"I have no idea on what you tried to imply there."

Mordekaiser shrugged. "Just a thought."

Garen sighed before continuing the examination session. However, unbeknownst to the Demacian, a familiar sister had begun to charge at him from a long distance. The distance was quickly closed, however, due to the immense speed the blonde had put to her running.

"_Gareeeeeeeeeeeen! Big bro~!_"

Mordekaiser and Garen felt a dreadful aura strike them straight in their hearts. As the Might of Demacia braced himself from an incoming hug, the Master of Metal summoned his mace. His first opponent had come to strike.

* * *

Threat 1

_Luxanna Crownguard_

Status: Bro-con Extremist

Threat Level: **Epic**

* * *

_I take back what I had said earlier... Garen isn't a sis-con, Luxanna is the **bro-con**!_

Just when Lux jumped up in the air, ready to pounce on her brother, Mordekaiser swung his mace (which had been configured so that its spikes were replaced by soft pads) at the Lady of Luminosity. But his foe would not fall so easily. With her smile staying on her face, Lux did a front flip, placing her hands on the mace before leaping higher, dodging the strike.

_What?! Grr, you won't dodge this next move, inferior little girl!_

As Lux avoided the iron man's attack, Mordekaiser spun around before attempting to hit her for a second time. This time, he was successful, causing the blonde girl to somersault straight towards the exit of the Champions' Break shelter. She made a weird noise that a cat would make when caught by surprise.

"First blood."

"...Master of Metal, I hope you remember that she _is_ my sister."

"You have to admit, though," said Mordekaiser with a hint of satisfaction in his voice, "you would've want to do this at one point in your life."

Garen made a thoughtful expression before agreeing. "You're kinda right."

* * *

With the Lady of Luminosity (temporarily) eliminated, Mordekaiser and Garen finished examining the first floor. Since the highest floor wasn't included in the examination, there were seven more floors to go. The last four would be very easy, considering the fact that _no one_ currently occupied any of the dormitories in there. Entering the second floor through an elevator, the two prepared to examine another floor. Until they were interrupted by another threat to Garen Crownguard.

"_Crownguard! You may have taken Lux out, but this feline wants and will get a few words with you!_"

Mordekaiser's eyes widened as he summoned his mace once again.

_These women are crazy! I'm starting to feel bad for Crownguard._

* * *

Threat 2

_Katarina du Couteau_

Status: Obnoxious Garen Stalker

Threat Level: **OP**

* * *

Katarina leapt towards Garen but was instantly stopped by Mordekaiser, who swung his mace directly at her face. She ducked, letting the weapon pass by dangerously, before kicking the Master of Metal away from her. When she found some time to waste, the redhead took out a knife before pointing it towards Garen at a dangerously close distance.

"Miss me?"

The Demacian could only squeak when she sheathed her dagger. Mordekaiser had regained his balance and put his focus on the Sinister Blade, who prepared for another fantastic stunt that would dodge the attack.

"Garen, bud, once I'm finished dealing with this tough guy here, you're going to spar with me. For the heck of it, of course!"

That one phrase was enough to tick the Master of Metal enough. Instead of starting his attack with a simple charge, he activated a siphon before summoning a mace to smack the redhead up in the air. Then, Mordekaiser did a spin attack, smashing Katarina towards an open window.

"_I'll be bwuaaaaaaaaack...!_" Katarina yelled as she fell towards a swimming pool.

Garen wiped the sweat away from his neck before taking out his examination notes once more. Mordekaiser had learned something important about his mission.

_It's hard._

* * *

Mordekaiser and Garen eventually completed examining the second floor before going up to the third. Unlike the other two, this floor seemed and looked relatively peaceful. This allowed Mordekaiser to take a breather. The recent two battles had tired him out of fear. Women truly were frightening.

"Mordekaiser."

"What is it, Crownguard?"

"U-Uh, it's just a question that came from my buddy, Jarvan, but..."

Mordekaiser turned to face the Demacian knight, who looked clearly nervous about the question he was about to ask. A devilish smile was plastered on the Master of Metal's face once more.

"If you're going to ask about whether you and the maven fit together, then I call for yes and no. Depends on the amount of love I could break."

"I was _not_ going to ask about that! I was going to ask whether you know if Sona-"

The Master of Metal tilted his head, chuckling. Garen was petrified. Boy, did he hate his loud mouth.

"-if? Were you about to ask about whether she has a lover or not?"

The Demacian opened his mouth to say something... only to find nothing come out. He grimly nodded.

"For some reason, I feel very protective of the maven. I'm not sure about whether you see this or not, but... to me, she looks... _frail_. I know that she's capable of defending herself from some people, but her looks says otherwise."

Mordekaiser listened to the knight, ears all open. Looks like he couldn't break someone's heart right at the moment.

"The maven- no, Miss Buvelle. She looks up to me as a model figure, so I try my best to be pure and noble whenever she's around. Not that I'm already trying to keep a good reputation, but... she makes you feel the need to do good deeds. I find myself quite attached to her. As a friend, of course. Yup..."

The Master of Metal nodded when Garen took out his examination notes.

_He is unaware of the fact that many women are after him..._

…

_...Whatever. Hue hue hue. I wonder what I'll make for dinner?_

* * *

The two eventually finished examining the third floor without any disturbances, leaving only one more dangerous level. When the door of the elevator opened, Mordekaiser felt _many_ presences inside the lobby. Definitely not a good sign. Summoning his mace, he went out of the elevator first, Garen following behind him. While the Might of Demacia babbled on about what needed to be checked, the Master of Metal observed the lobby. Nothing in particular looked suspicious, but he needed to be careful, for he was _sure_ that some of Garen's pursuers were here.

And like magic, out came the first threat from the women's public restroom.

* * *

Threat 3

_Emilia LeBlanc_

Status: Threat to Many Men

Threat Level: **Moderately High**

* * *

"Well, well, well! Looks like the Might of Demacia is here... _examining_ again. Sometimes I wonder whether you peek into the women's rooms whenever you do this job."

Garen raised an eyebrow before coldly answering, "I don't. Period."

"Can't take a joke, huh? Anyways, you! Uh... big guy. What was your name again?"

Mordekaiser felt something snap in his mind. He did not hesitate to swing his mace at her while he yelled, "_Mordekaiser!_"

LeBlanc laughed as she took a step back, dodging the large weapon in the process. She was a little intimidated by this metal monster, but he did have a funny reaction. "Oh, I'm sorry. I won't bother you... I'll just bother Crownguard here for fun."

Just when she tried to walk past the Master of Metal, she felt an iron grip clench her shoulder. _Tightly_. Silently crying out in pain, she looked back at Mordekaiser, whose eyes were literally on fire at this point.

"_Don't. You. Dare._"

The woman attempted to smirk before nodding. She sighed in relief when the pain faded away from her shoulder. Looking back at Garen, she said to him, "Crownguard! If you want any advice or rumors running amongst the Institute, just ask me."

She giggled before walking back to her room. It was Mordekaiser's turn to sigh in relief; one step closer to freedom from poisoned burritos.

But it wasn't time to get relaxed yet.

Just when LeBlanc went back to her dormitory, a group of women burst out of another dorm, catching the Might of Demacia and the Master of Metal off guard.

Garen muttered, eyes wide in fear, "...Holy sh-"

* * *

Threat 4

_Syndra_

Status: Poisoned by Aphrodite Potion (Thank the Mad Chemist)

Threat Level: **COLLECTED ALL SEVEN DRAGON BALLS**

* * *

Threat 5

_Nami_

Status: Poisoned by Aphrodite Potion (Thank the Mad Chemist)

Threat Level: **UNIVERSE MIGHT IMPLODE**

* * *

Threat 6

_Kayle_

Status: Poisoned by Aphrodite Potion (Thank the Mad Chemist)

Threat Level: **MIGHT BREAK THE FOURTH WALL**

* * *

Nami and Syndra were supposed to be from the third floor, but apparently, they were sleeping over at the Judicator's dorm. They had mistook Singed's potions for sodas.

"_Oh look,_" the two cried in unison, "_the **perfect man!**_"

Garen took out a battle baton, ready to defend himself. He really didn't want to pass out from their attacks. Mordekaiser and the Demacian had no clue for why they were chasing after them, but they decided that defending themselves was more important.

Syndra literally flashed towards the Might of Demacia before bear hugging Garen. He could only gasp for breath as the woman purred(?) with pleasure. Mordekaiser plucked Syndra away before tossing her back to the room she came from. Thank his expert accuracy.

Next was Nami, who moved at an extremely fast speed thanks to her tides. She too hugged Garen, but this girl was more persistent. Just when Mordekaiser was about to grab her, she sent a bubble at the iron man, encasing and trapping him for a temporary time. Angered thoroughly, he forced himself out of the bubble, popping it in the process, before grabbing the mermaid. He then tossed her back to the Judicator's dorm like a boss.

The last threat was Kayle. However, she was nowhere to be seen. Garen looked around, desperate to find her, before warning Mordekaiser,

"Mordekaiser! I can't seem to find... the Judicator..."

The Judicator had been hugging the Master of Metal without a word. Mordekaiser ran around like a blind chicken, screaming like a woman.

"_**CROWNGUARD! GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!**_"

"H-Hold on, I'm trying!"

Kayle's wings allowed her to expertly dodge Garen's grapples. It was interesting to note that she had said nothing so far, yet she lasted the longest. Finally, the Might of Demacia managed to pry her off of the iron man, but he handled her with more care. Bringing the Judicator over to her dormitory, he put her on a bed before leaving. He shut the door behind him before facing Mordekaiser, who was panting for breath. They were both worn out, but they were certain that the dangers were gone. The two chuckled before high-fiving each other; the battles were enough to make even the Master of Metal satisfied with surviving them.

And then suddenly, they heard loud noises heading towards them. Their expressions turned horrified, Garen and Mordekaiser dramatically turned their heads to see the most powerful threat.

* * *

Final Threat

_Urgot_

Status: Poisoned by Eros Potion (Sue the Mad Chemist)

Threat Level: **GOD-SLAYING POISONED BURRITOS**

* * *

"_C'mere and gimme some hugs,_" screamed the Headman's Pride, his legs getting faster and faster as he approached the two.

On that day, tragic screams echoes throughout the Champions' Break. Ahri, who was in the cafeteria, dropped the cake she was eating on a table before pouting.

"That was my last slice, too..."

* * *

Eventually, Garen finished his examination on the building. The Demacian now knew that he should arm himself the next time he went. After all, he couldn't rely on the Master of Metal all the time. Mordekaiser entered his dorm, which its door had been opened when he arrived. He was too tired to notice this, however. Today, he learned that not only was Garen's life painful, but women in general could dominate many things when grouped up together.

_Love... guh, it's quite over powered. But then again, it is also a weakness. Depends on how you manage it._

Mordekaiser sat on his sofa comfortably. He was about to close his eyes in peace when he noticed something sitting next to him. Turning to face the object, the iron man found...

_...a present box?_

The Master of Metal picked the large box up before reading out a label that had been put next to the ribbon,

_To: (Lord) Mordekaiser_

_From: Sona Buvelle_

_I hope this will cheer you up from your harsh day! ^_^'_

Mordekaiser chuckled at the emoticon drawn next to the maven's message. This present support his theory of Sona being caring and knowing to _anyone_. Enough to make even him, a ruler of Shadow Isles, wonder how she could bring happiness. He opened the box, finding burritos.

_Fresh_ burritos.

"_Alright! **Just what I needed! **__**HA HA HA HA!**_ I must thank the maven later!"

The Master of Metal happily dug in, happy with the taste. Unbeknownst to him, however, right behind the open door, Sona Buvelle hid. She had not brought her etwahl with her, so Mordekaiser could not sense her life-filled presence. The maven smiled when she found a positive reaction come from the Master of Metal.

She felt heat invade her cheeks, happy with her small, yet somewhat useful deed.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: Next up is - 'Doctor Mordekaiser!' Update will come out this weekend. :D**

**Feedback is appreciated like always!**


	7. Doctor Mordekaiser!

Mordekaiser sat on a dead horse. Now, before you ask how he killed the horse, mind you that _he_ did not kill it. In fact, no one decided to directly kill it.

Gravity did.

It had somehow invaded his dormitory. He would never know why or how, but it _did_ infiltrate his dorm without a sound. The horse had the guts to walk in without any hesitation. So the first thing that entered the Master of Metal's mind was,

_I wonder if I could sit on it?_

Yes, that was what he thought. Now that he was proven wrong, he needed to take care of an annoyingly large corpse. And he needed to do it fast. After all, dead horses usually bring in flies, and he absolutely _despises_ flies. Mordekaiser stood up from the corpse before leaving his dormitory. Utilizing the elevator he used all the time, he went to the first floor. The Master of Metal would need help picking this corpse up; it was an excessively heavy horse, so it was hard for even the Shadow Isles ruler to pick it up. He knew exactly where to head to.

* * *

"...And that's why you're in my room?"

"Yes, Crownguard."

Garen sighed. He was still intimidated by the Master of Metal, but the Summoner's Rift match and the examination session had brought them somewhat closer. Sitting on his comfy bed, the Might of Demacia blinked several times before standing up. Taking the horse to Brand, the Burning Vengeance, might sound like a good idea, but then again, Brand never opens his dormitory door for others, and for a good reason. After all, the last time he did so, lava poured and spread throughout the Champions' Break. No one knows where the lava came from, or why it was in the dorm in the first place. Taking it to the furnace would be a much better option.

"Alright. We'll pick up the horse and throw it in the furnace."

"Good thinking- wait... just throw it in," asked Mordekaiser with a confused look, "without any trays?"

"...What does burning a horse have to do with trays?"

"No, think about it," said the Master of Metal, "if there's a dead horse, then we could preserve the meat for-"

"Mordekaiser, _no one_ eats horse meat here. Not even Kha' Zix, though he wouldn't hesitate to chop it up."

The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow before growling, "_I do._"

The Might of Demacia sighed before telling the iron man, "Look, I could understand what you're pointing at right now, but no one would probably approve of you eating horse meat. That's like forcing Soraka to eat a hoof!"

"Soraka? What's that? Your horse?"

Garen rolled his eyes, trying to say something back. Instead, he sighed before walking out of his dorm. "Let's just get rid of that horse, shall we?"

"Let's do this. Hue hue hue."

* * *

Mordekaiser and Garen eventually picked the horse up before burning it in the first floor's furnace. Thankfully enough, no one saw them carry the corpse, so their reputation did not change. The Master of Metal huffed before thanking Garen with a swift nod. The Might of Demacia nodded back, exhausted. What kind of horse was that heavy, anyways? The two went back to their rooms, feeling a little sore.

Mordekaiser found a letter written on his dormitory door. Raising an eyebrow, he stomped towards it before snatching it.

* * *

_Dear Mordekaiser,_

_Meet me at the Champions' hospital._

_Sincerely,_

_Mercedes_

* * *

"Mercedes, what's up with this discouraging letter?"

Mordekaiser was sitting in the doctor's office in the Champions' hospital; a place where champions could make appointments peacefully. The Master of Metal currently used the doctor's chair, which obviously belonged to Shen, the Eye of Twilight. Normally, he should be here bickering about how he needed to save people.

Mercedes, who was sitting on the patient's chair, simply told him, "Shen is dead."

"..."

…

…

"...Just kidding, Shen isn't dead."

"Curse you, I was _just_ about to celebrate!"

"Anyways, Shen is right now missing in action. He's currently treating injured people from a riot that's occurring in Piltover right now. Akali and Kennen-"

"Who's Cannon? Are you perhaps referring to Gangplank?"

"No, _Ken_nen. Not _Can_non. Y'know, the lovely, masked midget?"

"I hate midgets," mumbled Mordekaiser.

Mercedes chuckled before continuing, "Anyways, Akali and Kennen had also gone off with him without a word. Now, being the generous man I am-"

"Also known as 'loser.'"

"-I decided to appoint you as the temporary chief doc' of this place. Dismissed."

"Okay- _**WAIT A SECOND, DO I ****LOOK**** LIKE A DOCTOR TO YOU?!**_"

Mercedes simply closed his eyes as the Master of Metal continued to roar,

"_I'm no doc', and I never will be! My specialty is to bring suffering, not bless people with new limbs! And why am I being ordered around so much in the first place?! Do you know how much effort I use just to stand-_"

"If you hold out for one whole day, then I will supply you with an infinite amount of burritos."

"It will be done, summoner."

Mercedes, barely able to keep himself from laughing, gave Mordekaiser an immensely long list that he would need to be a 'proper' doctor. "Today, you will only be doing surgeries. You and I have done some in the past to heal some friends of mine. It should be no problem."

Mordekaiser chuckled, "Old man, you're out of your mind if you think I forgot about surgeries."

This gave the summoner a smile. With a look full of trust, he began to walk out of the office. "Treat the office well. Oh yeah, and don't kill anyone this time, y'hear?"

"Gotcha, gotcha."

With one final look given from Mercedes, the door closed.

Mordekaiser panicked.

_Oh **SH#*!** I forgot how to perform surgeries! What do you cut people up with again? Scissors?_

Mordekaiser looked around him. There was another door connected to the surgery room. Scrambling on his feet, the Master of Metal slammed the door open, revealing a large room with one, clean platform floating in the middle. The platform was presumably where he'd put the patients, as it was big enough for even Cho'Gath to lie down on it. Gulping, he began to dig through some of the tools scattered across the room.

_Let's see... scalpel, scissors, saw... I **think** this is a syringe..._

Just then, someone knocked on the office door.

Mordekaiser jumped up in surprise, knocking over a whole group of tools down. A battery-powered saw began to spaz out on the floor, causing the iron man to panic even more.

"_H-Hold on a sec'! I'll be right with ya! Be right..._"

The Master of Metal attempted to catch the saw, which had moved all the way to a corner of the room. He eventually caught it before turning it off, tossing it back to where it came from. Darting towards the door connecting the surgery room with the office room, he used his utmost strength to reach the office. He slammed the door open before shutting it loudly. Mordekaiser literally jumped towards the office chair before letting it slide back to the large desk. He wondered if he forgot anything.

_Oh yeah._

Mordekaiser picked up a rock that was labeled 'Shen.' Chucking it away to some dark corner, the Master of Metal took out an iron cube before using his fingers to scratch out the words 'Dr. Morde.' He quickly placed it at where the rock was before saying out loud,

"_Come in, fool!_"

The door opened, revealing a familiar face. Someone that Mordekaiser was glad to see.

"Ah! If it isn't the Maven of Strings. Your burritos were absolutely perfect."

Sona smiled before bowing lightly. Mordekaiser took it as a 'thank you.'

"_**OH SHOOT!**_"

The abrupt yell made the lady jump for a second. Thankfully, she didn't drop the ethwahl she brought with her.

"Hmm... Sona, was it? I happen to be a replacement for the Eye of Twilight at the moment. Do you know how to treat people?"

Sona flinched. After all, it had been the first time he said her name. Putting up a thoughtful look, she contemplated for a while... before nodding.

"Okay, that's good enough. You're hired."

The maven blinked a couple times, surprised at how fast she was accepted.

* * *

The small lobby outside of the office was like any other hospital; it had a couple of seats, a reception desk, and a water cooler. Amumu, the Sad Mummy, sat on one of these seats, tearing up thanks to a wound he had received earlier. Okay, sure, he did learn that playing with Tristana's ammo was dangerous, but did he really need to receive a burn? He sniffled. Boy, he hated life and its physics.

He had to note, however, that the hospital felt somewhat different. Instead of that somewhat arrogant Kennen at the reception desk, there was a beautiful maven, plucking strings productively while the doctor prepared for Amumu's appointment. The aura she had was so full of life... Amumu could feel peace just by looking at her.

Then came the _dreadful_ aura coming from the doctor's office.

He had no idea to what was inside the office, but for some reason, he could tell that Shen wasn't there. After all, Akali was nowhere to be seen. Everyone knows that Akali was usually next to the Eye of Twilight due to her fondness of him. So without the nurse walking around, it certainly felt... off.

Finally, the Maven of Strings motioned for Amumu to follow her into the office. The Sad Mummy plucked himself off the seat before proceeding to enter the room.

"_Why, hello there!_ Doctor Mordekaiser, here. Would you like to be treated with a drill or a hacksaw?"

A terrified scream echoed out of the building.

* * *

After many minutes of discussion and persuasion, Sona ended up healing Amumu with her instrument. The mummy walked out of the hospital, shaken by what he had seen. Seeing Mordekaiser in a doctor's outfit was simply horrifying to even think of.

Meanwhile, in the doctor's office...

"...okay, so you didn't tell me that your string-thing patched people up."

Sona nodded.

Mordekaiser was deep in thought. Now that he found out about what Sona was capable of when it came to 'treating people,' he needed to learn how to utilize this efficiently. Mercedes had been wrong; there were people who came for appointments other than surgeries. Blame the old man and his blasted age.

"Alright, here's the deal. If it comes to burns, cuts, or other small injuries, you take care of it. If it comes to large-scale surgeries, I do it. How's that sound?"

Sona looked around before picking up a paper and pencil. Tilting her head, she wrote something down before showing it to Mordekaiser,

"_Are you experienced with surgical tools? I could help."_

The Master of Metal stared at the paper.

"I can't read."

Sona felt the urge the slam her face on the desk.

"Hue hue hue, just kidding. But yes, I am. Do not worry."

Right when Mordekaiser stopped talking, someone knocked on the office door again. Rolling his eyes, he gave Sona a pleading look, who headed for the door. The maven opened it, only to find an unfamiliar face.

"Yo!"

The pink haired woman before her had a tight suit that covered up most of her body. She didn't have her iconic gauntlets with her, but her finely-toned muscles were somewhat visible even with her armor on. Her cocky expression supported her confident air, and the tattoo on her cheek clearly stated who she was.

"So, uh," said the Piltover Enforcer with a grin, "is there, by chance, a big metal bub in here?"

"If you're referring to me, then I'm right here, punk."

"Hey, everyone loves Vi!"

Mordekaiser rolled his eyes before asking the girl, "What do you want, Enforcer?"

"Well, on behalf of Piltover and freaky-ninja-guy," said Vi, taking a cup of coffee out of nowhere, "I was sent here to help you while that dude's taking care of people in a riot. Jayce is busy, and so's Cait, so... here I am! An old man taught me the way to here. Seems like your retired contract-summoner loves to make your work, eh?"

"Wait, you? _Help?_ Mercedes' must've finally snapped."

"Hey! He gave me coffee, so he's cool!"

"Mmm hmm. Guh, I needed help anyways. You're hired. I guess. Sona here will be treating patients with minor injuries, while you and I would deal with surgeries."

Vi's expression slightly darkened. Curious as to why she suddenly shut up, Mordekaiser asked, "What's wrong? Don't like blood?"

"No, no, it's not that... it's just that..."

"...?"

"I'm just getting a feeling that many people are gonna visit us."

Mordekaiser would eventually figure out that Vi was right.

* * *

After Sona treated several patients, Kayle, the Judicator, burst into the hospital with an injured Jax. The Grandmaster at Arms barely breathed, which simply caused Kayle to panic. Vi brought Jax into the surgery room, placing him on the obnoxiously wide table. Apparently, he had been injured by a legendary monster at a river while he was fishing. Of course, he slayed it, but with a price. The Enforcer put on a hygiene mask, with Mordekaiser doing the same.

They eventually put the Grandmaster to sleep with a syringe, allowing them to 'cut him open.'

"Ew," said Vi with a hint of disgust, "this is so... complicated."

"Meh, I've seen worse. Alright, his heart is severely injured, so we're gonna have to do a transplant. Bring me... uhh... 'Heart 208.'"

"Gotcha, gotcha."

Vi quickly ran towards a large drawer. Shen used these whenever he did transplants, so he wouldn't mind if they were used for the greater good. Mordekaiser used a scalpel to cut out the heart. He barely cut it out without inflicting more injuries. When Vi came back, he took the heart from her hand before he-

"..._Wait a minute, __**THIS IS 'HEART 2008!'**__ I said two-oh-eight!_"

"Oh shoot. Be right back."

Mordekaiser sighed before waiting for Vi to return. The Enforcer came back with the correct heart.

"Okay, good. Now shove it in where the previous heart was."

"Right!"

Vi roughly shoved the new heart into Jax. However, when she tried to pull her hand back out, it wouldn't budge.

"Huh? What the?"

"Enforcer? What's going on-"

…

"_...since when did you put your gauntlets back on?_"

"I dunno," said Vi, shrugging nonchalantly, "I just thought that my gauntlets would be useful for breaking ribs open."

The Master of Metal asked, "Could you take them off?"

"Yeah, but it would take thirty minutes."

"..."

Mordekaiser sighed.

Before he screamed, "_**GO TAKE AT LEAST ONE OF THEM OFF!**_"

"_Okay, okay! Fine, geez!_"

Vi literally had to swing her hand out of the Jax's chest. After rubbing some blood off the glove, she walked to a corner in order to take at least one gauntlet off. Meanwhile, Mordekaiser began to finish up the heart transplant. Now, all he needed to do was-

_**KABOOOOOOOOM!**_

Mordekaiser accidentally shoved a scalpel deep into the new heart.

…

Infuriated, the Master of Metal's eyes glowed. They headed for Vi, who simply rubbed her head in confusion and apology.

"Eh heh... heh... sorry 'bout that."

"Oh, man, I'm so screwed."

Mordekaiser panicked. He had been doing so well until some explosion came from Vi's gauntlet. He was about to lose Jax! Thinking quickly, he came up with one solution. Rushing over to another drawer, he took out a glowing object before returning to Jax. He carefully placed it inside of Jax before heading back to the drawer again. The iron man returned again with a red bottle before pouring its contents messily on the heart. And with that, he began to patch Jax up again. It wasn't the best, but it was enough to keep the Grandmaster's organs to hold until Shen comes back.

"And... there we go."

"Wow, _you're done?!_ Man, I didn't get to have any fun."

Mordekaiser grimly stated, "Oh, you'll be seeing fun soon. Now who's next?"

* * *

Garen eventually met up with Jax at the Champions' Break. Sitting in the first floor lobby with a grin, the Demacian asked, "How was the surgery?"

"Dunno. I actually feel a little better."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Doc' told me that I shouldn't move too mu-"

Jax suddenly collapsed while he was walking towards Garen. The Might of Demacia panicked, yelling,

"_Jax? JAX?! **DEMACIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-**_"

* * *

"..."

"..."

Mordekaiser and Vi's next patient was Draven, the Glorious Executioner. They were currently doing another heart transplant, but they were facing something that destroyed their logic about human hearts.

Vi broke the silence, asking, "Why does this heart look like Draven?"

"Beats me."

The two stared at Draven's heart, which indeed looked like the Executioner himself. Even its hairdo was in perfect shape. However, due to the fact that the heart was dying, its smiling mouth stayed open.

"...Okay," said Mordekaiser, who was disturbed at this point, "give me 'Heart Draven,' please."

Vi went and searched through the drawers, looking for another heart identical to Draven's. When she found 'Draven's Heart,' however, she realized something disturbing. As she went back to Mordekaiser and the patient, she told the iron man,

"This heart looks nothing like Draven's."

"_...Madness._"

Mordekaiser took the heart away from Vi's hand. Indeed, it looked like a normal heart.

"Are you sure this is from the Draven drawer?"

"Well, duh! I have eyes, bud."

"..."

The Master of Metal fell into a long train of thoughts. After coming up with the best solution he could think of, he took out a scalpel.

"Uhh," asked Vi with a look of confusion, "what're you exactly gonna do with that?"

"Carve a head out."

The two felt the air tensen when Mordekaiser began to carve out an eye on the heart...

...only to find blood spurting everywhere.

"_Gah!_ Stop the blood, stop the blood!"

"No," screamed Mordekaiser, "_shove it in the trash can, shove it in the trash can!_"

Vi plucked the heart out of the iron man's hand before tossing it into a trash can. "What now?!"

"Go get me a green bead and some red bottles!"

"..."

"...What? _What're you waiting for?!_"

"No, no, wait just a sec'. Don't tell me you used a Rejuvenation Bead and Red Potions on Jax...?"

"Shut up, they're just beads and bottles."

"But I'm pretty sure-"

"_**THEY'RE JUST BEADS AND BOTTLES!**_"

"_**OKAY, OKAY, FINE!**__ Geez!_"

Vi reluctantly headed to the drawers before taking out a Rejuvenation Bead and Red Potions. When she brought them to Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal took them from her before placing the bead near Draven's heart. He then poured the potions' contents on the heart before beginning to patch some skin to cover the Executioner's chest.

* * *

Darius, the sat in the second floor of the Champions' Break, sipping some coffee. However, his peace crumbled when he heard the familiar voice of his brother echo across the building,

"_Bro!_ I've been looking for ya'!"

"Ya? Ya," mumbled the Hand of Noxus.

"So anyways, I visited the-"

Draven suddenly collapsed on the floor. His brother simply sipped his coffee again, not bothering to look at Draven, before simply replying,

"Good for you."

* * *

And so, Mordekaiser and Vi continued to perform surgeries. They yelled at each other quite often, bickering about what they _should've_ done instead of what they actually did. Garen found himself mourning for Jax and Master Yi, both who were victims to the surgical tools of two 'expert' surgeons. Lulu found herself worrying over the yordle, Tristana, who had begun to spaz out more than usual after visiting the doctor, and Cho'Gath constantly ate food to forget about the three obnoxiously glowing spots on his chest. Interestingly enough, the monster didn't faint unlike a majority of the patients.

Currently, Mordekaiser and Vi had begun the final surgery on Thresh, the Chain Warden. They decided to begin at-

…

"..."

Thresh simply stared at the two surgeons as he lay still on the platform.

"Thresh," said Mordekaiser with the simplest sentence he had ever said in the Institute so far, "_get out._"

The Chain Warden got up and obediently left the surgeon. After all, what business did he need with doctors if the souls of his victims unconsciously patched his wounds up?

Mordekaiser sighed as he returned to Shen's office, sitting down on the office chair. He had been worn out due to the sheer amount of people visiting him, and so was the Piltover Enforcer. She simply sat on the floor, panting for breath.

"Y'know," said Vi after catching her breath, "this ain't _that_ fun."

"No, it's absolutely _no_ fun."

"Hmm... well, it was a _little_ fun for me," claimed the Enforcer with a grin.

Mordekaiser simply raised an eyebrow before he chuckled. Now that he thought about it, the antics he had with the girl were quite amusing. And Vi herself was quite interesting; she didn't seem to fear him due to her extreme confidence in herself, which was actually somewhat relieving for Mordekaiser. He could consider her as a decent partner. _Decent_ partner. That itself is an accomplishment, mind you.

"Meh, at least your presence spiced things up."

Vi heard her cellphone ring. Due to the fact that it was made from the steampunk city-state, Zaun, it was slightly loud for even Mordekaiser. Taking the call, she answered the phone,

"Vi, here. Whatcha need?"

"..."

"...Yeah...? Okay. Alright."

She hung up, allowing Mordekaiser to ask, "Who was it?"

"Jayce. Friend of mine. Told me that ninja boy's arrived at the Institute."

"_Finally!_"

Mordekaiser stood up, eager to leave the hospital. However, just when he opened the door, he was greeted by the sight of a Shen with a dreadful aura coming from him.

The Master of Metal and the Piltover Enforcer felt sweat trickle down their necks.

"_...What is the meaning of this,_" asked the Eye of Twilight with a monotone tone.

Mordekaiser stood up straight before telling Shen, "W-Well, we were substitutes. There were many patients, so we had no choice but to take your place."

"We?"

"Yeah. There's me, and then there's-"

Mordekaiser pointed at Vi, who was thirty meters away from the hospital at this point.

"_**ENFORCER! GET BACK HERE! TRAITOR!**_"

The pink-haired fighter ran and ran, not turning back. Just when Mordekaiser was about to retort, Shen ordered the iron man,

"_You have one week to pay one million gold pieces for the trouble you caused. Especially for all the beads and potions you __**weren't**__ supposed to use._"

Mordekaiser's jaw slammed itself on the hospital grounds. Somewhere outside of the hospital, Vi thanked her instincts to grab the gauntlet she had taken off earlier before running. She loved the gloves. And her life.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sona had also left the hospital, knowing that her job had been finished. She reflected on what had happened in the hospital. Mordekaiser seemed to get along with Vi; a step further to his goal of being accepted by the champions. The maven felt happy for the Master of Metal, for he was always alone in the Champions' Break. Sure, she felt a little disappointed with the fact that she herself didn't help the iron man out, but Mordekaiser had his reasons.

Now inside her dormitory, she put down her ethwahl before laying on her sky-blue bed. The maven stared at the ceiling, remembering how she peeked behind the office door. Watching the prideful two talking to each other confidently and naturally...

_She became quite friendly with him... even though it's their first time seeing each other. Do I just lack the ability to be social?_

Sona buried her face underneath a pillow. Now that she thought about it, it only took Vi a few hours with Mordekaiser before he had somewhat accepted her presence. On the other hand, it took Sona _days_. At least, that's what she thought. Burying her face deeper into the soft object, she sighed. She wanted to know more about the iron man as a friend. Maybe she could get rid of that looming aura of isolation coming from the Master of Metal. After all, he was quite interesting in terms of personality and attitude. It would be a waste for his good points to never be shown to the other champions.

The maven shut her eyes tightly. She would think about this topic later. Sona decided that she was too worried about Mordekaiser's reputation. The maven would rest, for it had been a long day.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Next up – 'Laborkaiser!'**

**Also, this was, by far, the longest chapter I had worked on. The original was too unorganized, forcing me to condense the chapter. Sorry for the inconvenience.**

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	8. Laborkaiser!

"_Summoner, on my call, ignite. Ready?_"

"_R-Ready!_"

Mordekaiser stood his ground, facing the one and only Card Master, Twisted Fate, in his lane. The man was a tough nut to crack thanks to his yellow cards; the one thing Mordekaiser absolutely _despised_ about this guy. However, the Master of Metal had to admit that he was a challenge. His shield was very useful against the gambler, but he knew that he shouldn't underestimate Fate's cards. Gripping his mace tightly, when the enemy's minions came, the iron man charged in with a _Mace of Spades_, aiming to maximize his shield first.

Clementine had managed to level up a little more, now allowing Mordekaiser to guarantee kills. With _Ignite_ now in Clementine's hands, the Master of Metal knew that he wouldn't need to rely on his ultimate as much as last time. _Ghost_ was still in the iron man's favor due to the sheer advantages it gives him when he chases someone. Carving a minion's face inside out, the iron man raised his shield. The blow spread, dealing damage to several unlucky minions. He used his Siphon to maximize the final bits of his shield before covering himself with _Creeping Death_.

Twisted Fate threw three _Wild Cards_, all which were capable of destroying the iron man's shield. Thankfully enough, he knew how to dodge the Card Master's attacks. Turning his body violently to dodge a Wild Card, Mordekaiser spun around before using his Siphon once more. He had to thank Clementine for buying the _Spirit of the Spectral Wraith_, since that gave him cooldown reduction on his skills. Heavily damaged by the _Siphon of Destruction_, Twisted Fate grunted before expelling a yellow card on the Master of Metal. By the time Mordekaiser had recovered from the stun, the Card Master had dealt several blows before retreating to his turret. Perfect.

Farming off of minions was easy, especially with someone like Fate around. Sure, the Card Master had an advantage thanks to his range, but Mordekaiser himself had a ranged attack that _shielded_ him. The iron man wiped out the next wave of minions instantly with a quick combination of skills. Just when he was about to head for the enemy blue turret, however, he heard his summoner quickly inform him,

"_Gank from river. Retreat immediately."_

"_Yes, yes."_

Mordekaiser retreated back to his own turret before recalling. His turret would take some hits, but won't receive as much damage as the enemy turret did. He returned to his base, allowing his summoner to buy _Twin Shadows_. It wasn't exactly the best pick around, but with a jungler and a roaming enemy top-laner, Rumble, the situation was just begging for some Crowd Control. Just when the Master of Metal began to return to his lane, he felt a throbbing feeling of pain in his head. He nearly tripped, barely keeping himself on his balance with his mace.

"_H-Huh? Lord Mordekaiser? I-Is something the matter?!"_

Mordekaiser grunted in pain. Something didn't feel right. This feeling had been crushing him since the day before the match, and not even Shen, who he needed to pay back for, could find the cause of it. Standing up once more, he attempted to calm his summoner down.

"_No... no, it's nothing. Nothing at all. Just lost my balance for a second. Let's press on."_

His summoner decided to stay silent, though it was clear that she was worried for his stability now. When the Master of Metal returned to his lane, Twisted Fate was nowhere to be seen. Raising an eyebrow, the iron man looked around before proceeding to farm like normal.

"_If my calculations are right, then there's a 58.7% chance that Twisted Fate is attempting to catch you or another lane off-guard."_

"_Alright, summoner."_

Mordekaiser continued to push the turret. Thanks to several wards his jungler, Vi, had placed in the rivers, he felt safe from ganks right at the moment. Once he had obliterated yet another wave of minions, he began to attack the turret. It was nearly down thanks to his lane domination earlier in the match.

_One... two... okay, just one more-_

Then darkness came.

The Master of Metal's eyes widened before he hastened to make the final hit on the turret. There could only be one champion that would use an ability like this.

_Nocturne._

"_**Darkness...ha, ha, ha...!**_"

Mordekaiser smashed the turret, allowing it to explode dramatically. He turned around, looking for any traces of movement. The sheer aura of Nocturne's presence had cut off his vision, so he would have to play smart on where his Siphon goes first.

He then saw Nocturne. Flying directly towards him at a point-blank range.

"_**HA!**_"

The Master of Metal quickly used _Creeping Death_ on himself before following up with a _Siphon of Destruction_ on the Eternal Nightmare. Nocturne used his own chain of ability combinations to deal burst damage. Now, since Mordekaiser had been caught off guard, Nocturne would be having the advantage. Sure, the iron man had been fed through farming thanks to the fact that Twisted Fate didn't get to farm enough, but a surprise attack still is devastating. However, the nightmare forgot about one thing.

He lacked Magic Resist. _Lots of it._

Nocturne had been focusing on the other enemies, many who relied on Attack Damage. For example, Riven, the purple team's top lane, couldn't defeat the nightmare thanks to the armor he had. Same went for the purple team's _Carry_, Ashe. Mordekaiser, however, relied solely on Ability Power and Magic Penetration. When he realized that it was a losing battle, Nocturne slowed Mordekaiser down before attempting to retreat back to the second turret in the middle lane. However, it was too late.

The Master of Metal activated his _Twin Shadows_, slowing Nocturne down for yet _another_ beatdown of abilities. Right after using a Siphon, Mordekaiser smashed his mace against Nocturne's face with a _Mace of Spades_, dealing extra damage since the nightmare was isolated from other targets. After _Igniting_ and using _Children of the Grave_ on Nocturne, Mordekaiser swung his weapon upwards at the shadowy being.

Clementine cringed at the sight of a head flying across the map.

"No hard feelings," muttered the iron man, barely catching his breath.

Panting heavily, the Master of Metal used his new ghost pet to destroy the second turret in the middle lane, causing the blue team to panic. Mordekaiser retreated before recalling back to his base once more.

_Boy, that felt good._

* * *

The game ended quite quickly afterwards. With ten kills, three assists, and no deaths, Mordekaiser finished a fair game. He left the Battle Quarters, his head ringing. Clementine had pressed on the matter of Mordekaiser's condition, but he claimed that he was fine. The Master of Metal didn't want to worry his summoner, for he knew that she was weak when afraid. The same applied for any other summoner, though they rarely showed it.

Once he was outside of the Quarters, he felt something tap his head.

"What's up, tough nut?"

Mordekaiser turned to face none other than the Piltover Enforcer, who grinned cockily. Letting out a huff, the Master of Metal crossed his arms. "If it isn't the Enforcer. The same one who _abandoned_ me a few days ago. What do you want?"

"Cheer up, man," said Vi, handing over a can of coffee to him, "you should have a big, wide smile too. Makes me feel better whenever I could punch those looks off."

"Psh," sneered the iron man, "not off of _my_ face."

The two walked back to the Champions' Break. They sat on a bench in the first floor's lobby, where they could drink without spilling anything. Vi sipped her cold coffee, while Mordekaiser simply stared at his open can. For some reason, all the energy in him didn't seem to be inside him right at the moment. He thought that the painful throbs were the cause of this, but he had come up to the conclusion that he just needed some rest.

"So," asked Vi, "how was the mid lane? From what I've heard, this is your second Rift match with that new summoner of yours."

"Hmph. Decent. The Card Master was enough of a challenge to make things enjoyable."

"Ha! Really, now?"

"Yes," said Mordekaiser, "and it would've been better if you hadn't stole my kill."

The pink-haired Enforcer simply raised her hands in mock guilt, "You had to admit though, that was a good gank!"

The Master of Metal then thought about it. If she didn't enter at that one moment, then Mordekaiser would've both miss a kill _and_ waste his ultimate ability. Her presence at least gave him a ghost pet that destroyed another turret.

"You have a point there, actually."

Unbeknownst to the two, someone had entered the lobby quietly. Ahri, the Nine-Tailed Fox, came from an elevator before noticing Vi and Mordekaiser on the bench. Curious as to what they were doing, she walked up to them before letting her presence be known,

"Heya!"

The Piltover Enforcer turned before grinning. "Well, if it ain't the lovable, cuddle-fox. Wha'sup, sis?"

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow at Vi's nickname for Ahri.

_What the **heck** is a cuddle-fox?_

"Nothin' much. Just ate a hotdog on the way here. What about you guys?"

"Well," said Vi, "I was just talking about some 'action' with this bub, here."

"_Mordekaiser._"

"Yeah, whatever."

Ahri took out a hot dog before beginning to chew on it. She loved the priceless reactions the iron man showed. Meanwhile, Mordekaiser was deep in thought. As the two girls bickered amongst themselves, he thought of ways to earn money. This was, of course, to pay Shen back for the damage he caused.

_There are plentiful of ways to earn money in the Institute. Honestly, it's just a matter of time consumption. Just need to get everything under one week._

The Master of Metal stood up before he began to walk out of the Champions' Break. Ahri swallowed her food before asking out loud, "_Mordey!_ Where're you going?"

"I have some... business to attend. I shall see you at another time."

The Piltover Enforcer raised an eyebrow and stayed silent until the iron man left. When he was out of sight, Vi nudged the Nine-Tailed Fox before whispering,

"Pst. I heard Morde' is interested in Kayle."

Ahri literally shot out a cannon of food from her mouth.

"Wha- _really?!_"

"_Ha ha!_ No, I'm just messin' with ya'. Though it would be interesting if that were true. Hue hue hue..."

Vi laughed in a strange, suspicious way. The way a villain with a scheme would. Ahri, on the other hand, was simply dumbfounded. She found herself pouting, annoyed at how the Enforcer tricked her.

* * *

_**Assisting Heimerdinger with an Experiment**_

Mordekaiser poured a purple substance inside a test tube, causing its contents to react violently. He then added some green powder into the tube before stirring it carefully. The result was interesting; the substance turned into a gas that seemed to have a shape of its own.

"Please bring me the Quantum Titanium, please," said Heimerdinger, who was currently absorbed by his own work. Mordekaiser obediently follow his orders, glad that he didn't screw up so far. The Master of Metal headed towards a drawer before searching for 'Quantum.' He took out a Quantum Ritadium before bringing it to the scientist.

"Got it? Okay, now put it inside the Terracitrate."

Mordekaiser shoved the Ritadium inside the strange liquid...

...right before realizing that he didn't bring _titanium_.

The beaker containing the liquid blew up, its shards tampering with the laboratory itself. The lights began to flicker, and gears flew out of place, causing tools to shatter.

"_**OH SH# ,**_" screamed Heimerdinger. Now, note to self, but Heimerdinger could get _really_ angry. Angry to the point where Tryndamere himself could get angry due to jealousy.

"_**OH SH# ,**_" screamed the Master of Metal, who was being attacked by deranged missiles.

And so, Mordekaiser barely stopped the lab from being destroyed.

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**1 GP**_

* * *

_**Catching Criminals with Caitlyn**_

"Quick," yelled the sheriff, "they're getting away!"

Caitlyn had gone back to Piltover in order to catch some criminals on the loose. They had made their names infamous, and were successful in _too many_ crimes. This obviously stirred the sense of justice inside the Sheriff of Piltover, and drove her to do her best in catching the thugs. However, they were somehow skilled in the arts of escaping, so this time, she had brought a temporary partner with her.

Mordekaiser ran through the streets, shoving away people who blocked his way. One person even flew towards a parked car. Summoning his mace, he obliterated the trash the criminals had sent towards him, smashing buildings in the progress-

"_**STOP DESTROYING EVERYTHING!**_"

The Master of Metal stopped smashing his surroundings, simply answering, "Fine."

The sheriff would worry about the damage later. Mordekaiser did shake the criminals up a little, causing their pace of running to falter. When they were close enough, Caitlyn grinned before preparing a _90 Caliber Net_. Without hesitation, she fired it at the criminals, officially ending the chase.

Or, so she thought.

Instead of catching the criminals, she had caught an innocent bystander. Frowning in disappointment, the sheriff knew that she had lost an advantage. She might as well keep running until another net shot was available.

However, just when things began to look dark, Mordekaiser decided to act. He was infuriated at how fast the pests were. The Master of Metal smashed the ground with his mace, which was quickly followed by a barrage of maces shooting out of the ground in a single path. The path had destroyed an entire building, which fell on the criminals. Citizens of Piltover ran around, frightened by the chaos that had occurred in a mere second.

Caitlyn's eyes twitched as the iron man walked back to her. With a shrug, Mordekaiser told her,

"First blood wins games."

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**50000 GP (Original Reward was 100000 GP, which was cut off due to the criminals' deaths)**_

* * *

_**Planting 'Shrooms With Teemo**_

Mordekaiser didn't like Teemo due to the whole 'mushrooms-kill-you' business. So when he began working under the scout, it was evident that he wanted to get his job done as quickly as possible. Currently, he was supposed to be giving Teemo some mushrooms that could be turned into deadly weapons.

It would've been easy _if he could find them_.

The Master of Metal had searched throughout the entire Institute, and there were no useful mushrooms to be seen. Knowing that it was a losing battle, Mordekaiser wearily returned to Teemo's swamp garden. He didn't care about whether he had failed the scout; after all, he hated midgets. When he arrived, he found the scout planting some mushrooms without any effort.

"..."

_...Wait a second..._

"Teemo, where'd you get those 'shrooms?"

The scout looked up from his work.

"Huh? These? Oh, you could find them if you go deeper in the swamp. Where were you anyways-"

Mordekaiser summoned his mace before smashing Teemo up in the air like a baseball player. The furry scout went sky-high before becoming invisible to the naked eye.

"As expected," muttered the iron man with a vein popping out of his forehead, "you're better off when you're _dead_."

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**5000 GP (From Teemo's Wallet)**_

* * *

_**Poker at Twisted Fate's Casino**_

Mordekaiser dragged his newly earned chips towards him, causing his drunk opponents to leave. After Teemo had been sent to the hospital, the Master of Metal decided to test his luck through gambling. So far, he had beaten five drunkards; a classic trick to get quick cash. Chuckling, the iron man counted how much he had earned so far; 5_0000 gold pieces._ Quite an accomplishment, but then again, what else can you expect from gambling? Overall, he was doing great.

Until Graves, the Outlaw, had come to the table.

Like the others he had faced, Graves was drunk. However, he wasn't _that_ drunk. The Outlaw still had a strong mind despite drinking so much. Twisted Fate, the owner of the casino, shuffled the cards before giving the two contestants their cards. Mordekaiser had gotten a _2_ and a _5_. When Twisted Fate placed a community card on the table, the iron man was happy to find another _2_.

_Okay. I'll win this. Because I have a pair, and Graves doesn't._

Fate placed another community card on the table, revealing a _King_.

_It's alright. Because I still have a pair, and Graves doesn't._

The rest of the community cards were _3, 7, _and _9_.

_I won, because I have a pair, and Graves doesn't._

Mordekaiser revealed his cards, whilst the Outlaw did the same.

It turned out that Graves had two _Kings._

Just when the bearded man opened his mouth to speak, Mordekaiser flipped the table, knocking the Outlaw out in the process. With an unusually fast speed, the Master of Metal took all of the chips both he and Graves had before running out of the casino. Twisted Fate simply eyed the iron man before grinning. He would let him go because the iron man did the Card Master a favor unconsciously. It seemed like a good trade for his earlier loss at the Rift match.

The next day, Graves would get angry at Twisted Fate for 'taking his money.'

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**200000 GP (Including Graves' money)**_

* * *

_**Making Rammus Say 'Okay'**_

After calling a bet with Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms, who had recently recovered from the hospital incident, Mordekaiser headed over to the Armordillo. What the iron man needed to do was to make Rammus say 'Okay' under five seconds. The silent armadillo was leaning on a tree nearby a river. When the Master of Metal arrived, the iron man simply ordered Rammus,

"Rammus, move over."

"Okay."

Jax destroyed a tree out of sheer anger.

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**50000 GP**_

* * *

_**Organizing Ammunition with Tristana**_

"...and so like, he went _'ka-BOOM!'_ It was totally amazing, he just flew off the ground like Ultraman! I swear! Like, without any effort! Oh yeah, by the way, the fireworks this Lunar New Year was freakin' sweet! And like..."

Mordekaiser had went deaf hours ago thanks to Tristana's insanely long conversations. He sorted out good and bad rocket ammunition for the yordle's bazooka, which was a painstakingly time-consuming task.

"...which made Lulu go nuts! And- hey, are you even listening to me? Oh, look! Look! Butterfly!"

The Master of Metal didn't know why he was even helping her out in the first place, but she had her reasons. Everyone knew not to give Tristana _coffee_ out of all things, yet Master Yi gave her some. He would have to warn the Wuju Bladesman about the matter, as her constant bickering got on his nerves.

"...and Draven was all like... _'Draaaaaaven...'_ His mustache is so weird. Holy crap, did you know? Cho'Gath is actually _reaaaally_ tiny compared to when he-"

The iron man felt something snap in his head, causing him to trigger one of the explosives.

Things didn't exactly end pretty.

After a storm of explosions, Mordekaiser found himself trapped underneath a pile of rubble. Tristana blinked, sitting on top of the iron man's head. She then looked down before telling him,

"Hey! I think we finished our job quicker than anticipated! You're a sweet guy, did'ja know that?"

Mordekaiser groaned.

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**3000 GP**_

* * *

_**Prison Managing for Thresh**_

The Master of Metal sat on a chair, lazily watching over prisoners. Now, Thresh had been looking for temporary substitutes that could take his place for a while. The Chain Warden's job was to ensure that criminals found in the Institute stay quiet in their prison cells. However, he had overworked himself, making him quite hungry. That was when he met the iron man.

One of the prisoners grabbed the bars of his cell, glaring at Mordekaiser. He was a bald man with a very muscular structure. Anyone could tell that he had more brawns than the average human. A scar running down his left eye, his appearance was very intimidating.

"Hey, tin can. Get me out of here."

Mordekaiser summoned his mace before destroying the bars holding back the criminal. He then punctured his mace through the big man. His weapon made no effort to penetrate the man's ribs.

"No."

The iron man violently thrust his mace out of the criminal. Before the corpse could let its knees fall to the ground, Mordekaiser used his mace as a baseball bat, smashing the dead body out of the prison building. Some summoners near the Battle Quarters saw something shoot out of the local jail, but didn't bother; they thought that it was just Thresh killing some time like usual.

Another prisoner stood up from the floor of his cell before shouting at the Master of Metal, "Hey fatty! That was my friend right there!"

Mordekaiser didn't hesitate to demolish the other man's existence.

Now fearing the iron man, all of the prisoners cried in horror. They backed away from the bars of their cells, clearly hating the new substitute. One of the criminals scrambled to his bed... before taking something out of the bunker. He had somehow stolen a key from the Chain Warden a few days ago, and had been waiting for a situation like this. Just when he put his hands out of the bars to unlock the jail door, he felt a steel hand snatch away the key. Looking up, he found Mordekaiser, eyes glowing. A look of pure joy.

The iron man dramatically threw the hand carrying the key back... before throwing it back at the prisoner. Instantly killed by the force, the criminal flew back towards a wall in the cell, a key placed messily in his forehead. Trembling, another prisoner screamed,

"_**THRESH! PLEASE BE OUR WARDEN AGAIN! THIS GUY'S TOO SCARY, MAN!**_"

"_**YEAH!**_"

"_**C'mon, Thresh!**_"

"_**Please! We'll behave!**_"

"_**I'll even give you a cookie! It's fresh!**_"

But Thresh did not listen to their pleas. Their suffering gave him satisfaction. After all, who cared about the criminals who committed unforgivable crimes in Runeterra? And not to mention, but their personalities were far from the Warden's liking. Sitting on another chair nearby Mordekaiser's, the denizen of Shadow Isles simply laughed hysterically as he continued to drink from a glass cup. Interestingly enough, he was drinking souls put into a liquified form. The Institute surprisingly allowed the Chain Warden to do this using the souls of the unforgivable.

"_Ha ha ha! You all make me laugh. He's actually doing you a favor by letting you skip the electric chair execution. Oh yeah, nice shot, Morde'._"

The Master of Metal simply chuckled. This was, by far, his _favorite_ job. He even considered becoming an actual employee of this interesting jail.

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**100000 GP**_

* * *

_**Bakery Business with Morgana**_

In the depths of a hellish bakery, Mordekaiser acted as the place's cashier. It was harder than it looked; due to the fact that there was so much going on inside the bakery, it was seriously _hardcore._ The Fallen Angel would bring bread to the iron man, who would then quickly leave his cashier, placing the bread on platforms with labels on them. Each label stood out for a specific product, which was a basic way of organizing things. The platforms had very weak heaters underneath them, keeping the breads 'alive' and fresh.

"_**MORDEKAISER,**_" screamed Morgana, "**_TAKE THIS TO THE 'EPIC-CREAM-PWNAGE' SECTION! PLEASE!_**"

Mordekaiser cringed, screaming back, "_**OH. 'KAYYY!**_"

Mind you, the bakery was quite loud. Thanks to the terrifyingly noisy kitchen, Morgana had to scream at the top of her lungs, while Mordekaiser had to do the same in order for her to hear him properly. Just when he took a tray from the Fallen Angel before placing the bread on a platform, a customer came in. It was none other than Pantheon, the Artisan of War. With his classic battle uniform on, the fighter made his way to the cashier. Mordekaiser expertly slid back into the cashier's seat before asking,

"What would-"

Just when he said something, he heard Morgana scream _something_, but he couldn't tell what it was. With annoyance clearly in his tone, Mordekaiser shouted, "_**SHUT UP FOR A SECOND!**_"

"_What did you say,_" asked an angry Pantheon, "_**ARE YOU PICKING A FIGHT ON ME?!**_"

"_**YOU SHUT UP TOO! FOR A SECOND! GUARGHHHHH!**_"

At this point, Mordekaiser had no idea who he was talking to. With Morgana still screaming something out, Pantheon lunged at the iron man, who defended himself with his iron mittens of death.

* * *

_**Gold Acquired**_

_**43600 GP**_

* * *

_Later that week..._

* * *

Shen found his next 'patient' dropping a heavy bag on his desk. Raising an eyebrow, he looked up, only to find Mordekaiser in front of him.

"The one million. Just like you wanted."

The Eye of Twilight's eyes widened. He checked the bag. Indeed, there _were_ lots of gold pieces inside. Looking back up, with a more forgiving tone, he told Mordekaiser,

"W-Wow... I honestly didn't expect this, Master of Metal. I will surely use this for the greater good. Thank-"

However, the iron man was nowhere to be seen.

"...you?"

Mordekaiser left the hospital without a word. He didn't want to spend anymore time in the hospital, as he wanted to rest in peace. The iron man was busy for the entire week, and that was definitely something. Even with a League match in his way, he somehow managed to get the one million and repay his debt. With a deep sigh of both exhaustion and relief, the Master of Metal headed back for the Champions' Break. Entering the main building, he found himself facing Vi, the Piltover Enforcer.

"Well, whaddya know? You repaid your debt, huh?"

The Master of Metal silently nodded. Something that the Enforcer didn't expect. She expected something more along the lines of him getting angry at her. He was clearly worn out. As the iron man began to walk again, he felt a sharp pain enter his head, causing him to fall on his knees. Surprised by the abrupt action, Vi did not hesitate to run to the iron man's side. Using her shoulder as support, the Enforcer looked up, not able to see the glowing eyes Mordekaiser usually had.

"Heh, you must've been _reaaaaaaally_ tired. Well, I guess I'll make up for my absence in the debt with this."

As Vi let the Master of Metal stand up, one of the dormitory doors opened. Garen, the Might of Demacia, had his trekking gear ready: a white t-shirt, blue-and-yellow training pants, and a golden headband that had the word _Demacia_ on it. Quite fitting for the Demacian. Just when he was about to head out of the main building, he noticed the Piltover Enforcer helping the Master of Metal out.

_...Wait..._

_...wait, wait, wait. Is she helping him... or is Mordekaiser just putting an arm around her?_

…

_I **must** bring this mysterious issue to Jarvan the Fourth!_ _After I'm done exercising, that is._

And so, Garen began to jog away, whistling like the most suspicious person you could find at a crime scene. The other two did not notice him, as they were too occupied with heading for Mordekaiser's dormitory. Using the elevator, Vi eventually made it at the iron man's place. The Master of Metal was eager to lie down on his sofa, and the Enforcer did nothing to stop that. Grinning, Vi caught her breath before saying,

"Well, that wasn't hard! Hard like I thought it'd be, at least. You're surprisingly light for an 'iron man,' y'know?"

The Master of Metal chuckled, finally able to talk properly again. "Call me Tony Stark," he sarcastically replied. Mordekaiser actually became with Stark thanks to Mercedes, who was a friend with the genius beforehand. Tony was a Zaun scientist that worked for himself, and like Mercedes, he accepted Mordekaiser for what he was. One of the few people who the iron man enjoyed being around with before he isolated himself from the League matches.

Vi sighed, quite exhausted herself. She looked around before asking, "Y' have a bed I could use? I'm really freakin' tired... I could use some rest."

"Hmm... it should be next to the bathroom. Use it to your heart's content; I don't even know _why_ I made that pointless room in the first place."

Laughing loudly, the Enforcer made her way to the bedroom. After the bedroom's door closed, Mordekaiser closed his eyes. He could hear Vi's gauntlets being taken off. Chuckling, the Master of Metal fell in a deep slumber.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Next up – 'unknown'. The name of the next chapter shall not be revealed until it's released.**

**I had fun writing this chapter due to the sheer amounts of interactions Mordekaiser made with others. Some job ideas were actually scrapped because they were either:**

**1. Didn't fit.**

**2. Were completely/absolutely unfunny.**

**Also, before you ask, "No." I do not 'hate' some champions in League of Legends. I won't go further in the matter, but I do respect Riot's creations. Keep that in mind as you read this story.**


	9. Final Fight! Shadow Isles Edition!

Mordekaiser sat near his dining table, drinking some soda. He had just woken up from his deep slumber. Apparently, it took him exactly twelve hours to wake up. Not the brightest idea, but it gave the Master of Metal his energy. Also, the pain in his head had gone away permanently. Staring outside of a window, the iron man squinted his eyes, attempting to take a good view on the entire Institute. He hated the bright light (which explains why he also despises Lux), but he had to admit, the structures of the Institute were surely impressive. To think that all of this was made for a game like League of Legends...

_...Ahh, Cola is the best. Nothing beats the original. I think._

The Master of Metal continued to drink from his morning soda. With a grumble, he was about to stand up and walk over to his sofa when he heard someone knocking his door. Mordekaiser rolled his eyes before storming over to the door. Without hesitation, he slammed it open, revealing none other than Mercedes, his good ol' contract-summoner.

Mordekaiser slammed the door shut.

When he heard a single knock come from the old summoner, he sighed before opening the door once more.

"What brings you here, Mercedes?"

Mercedes smiled before walking inside the dormitory. He went to the kitchen before bringing one of the dining chairs in front of Mordekaiser's sofa. After checking that there wasn't anything suspicious on the seat, the summoner sat.

"So, how have you been faring lately? Did some of my requests bring you closer with the other champs?"

The Master of Metal chuckled as he sat on his sofa. "Well," he said with a thoughtful look, "I've become friendlier with quite a few, actually."

"Really? Might I ask who?"

"Well, Thresh and I have been getting along recently. I haven't seen him that often in Shadow Isles and during my isolation, but I guess me going outside got me friendly with him. Entertaining warden, if you ask me. Also, Hecarim... oh man, he's a classic. He actually jumped over a fence while carrying me and Karthus-"

"Mordekaiser."

"Huh?"

"Do you know why you became friends with everyone from Shadow Isles?"

"Wha- how'd you know where my friends came from?!"

Mercedes sighed before telling the iron man, "Mordekaiser, I already _know_ you were friends with them. _You_ were the one who told me that."

"...I did?"

"Yes. Let me get my message straight; _you need to become friends with champions other than your Shadow Isles buddies._"

"Hmm... well, the Piltover Enforcer and I had some interesting conversations."

"Oh," said Mercedes with a suspicious grin, "that escalated quickly. Any memorable moments between the two of you?"

"She once punched my mace into my face. I forgot when that happened, though."

…

…

…

"...I'm sorry for asking."

"Nah, it's cool. I guess."

"So anyways, Ashe and Tryndamere are marrying."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Weren't they already married?"

"Well," said Mercedes with a shrug, "I dunno. They probably have their reasons for another marriage. Might be political. Might be official."

"Huh..."

The Master of Metal gave a thoughtful look before getting off of his sofa. He stood up straight before heading out for the door. "Well, that's nice," said the iron man, attempting to escape the room.

Mordekaiser felt a hand grip his shoulder. On instinct, he flipped Mercedes over his body before letting the summoner fall. The old man glared at the Master of Metal, clearly not amused. He was surprisingly sturdy for an elderly person. After the iron man scratched his head in apology, Mercedes stood back up.

"Your mission is to make sure nothing drastic happens, for I fear that the other two princesses of Freljord, Sejuani and Lissandra, would interfere the eventful day. As much as how I respect those two, I do not want them to ruin something so... touching. They probably have their own ways to claim the title as the one and only queen of Freljord, so they might do something drastic if you don't do anything.

...By the way, if you fail, I'm feeding you eighty-thousand rotten burrios. Aaaand I'll take away your current infinite supply of burritos to make things worse."

Mordekaiser screamed like a little girl.

* * *

"...So that's why you brought us here," asked an amused Thresh.

"Yes, yes. I'll show that old man one day..."

Mordekaiser was in front of the public Wedding Hall. With him were his Shadow Isles buddies: Thresh, Hecarim, Karthus, and Yorick. Knowing that the job might be hard thanks to the fact that it's _Sejuani_ and _Lissandra_ they're dealing with, the Master of Metal brought in his friends. His only 'official' friends, that is.

"So," muttered Karthus in a soothing, yet creepy voice, "we need a battle plan."

Hecarim, confused by what the Deathsinger meant, asked, "Like... what _kind_ of battle plan?"

Karthus began to explain, "The Wedding Hall is a really large building, so we need to separate in order to patrol the entire place properly. Interior structures are quite simple; there's the main room, the lobby, some restrooms, and not to mention, preparation rooms made for the groom and bride. We will need two dudes patrolling inside the building. Everyone else would stay outside."

"But," asked Mordekaiser in wonder, "why _two_ guys inside?"

"We are all strong in our own ways, my friend. And not to mention, but if things get too harsh outside of the Hall, then I could just send in telepathic messages. As far as I know, the Freljord princesses won't turn their warriors into assassins any sooner."

The Shadow Isles denizens nodded their heads. The priest and escort for the bride were both missing, so Yorick and Hecarim decided to fill in the roles. Mordekaiser and Thresh decided to stay outside for the entire time, not wanting to participate in the wedding. Karthus planned on patrolling the entire place like a boss.

* * *

_Twenty minutes later..._

* * *

Mordekaiser sat in the wedding room in the midst of carefully aligned chairs. He didn't want to stand outside for the sole purpose of not having to look at the visitors' faces. With closed eyes, he sat. Pondering of some dark thoughts that had recently entered his head. He thought about a 'what-if' situation if Mercedes, a dear friend of his, died. Surely, without the old man, he wouldn't have been reunited with his Shadow Isles buddies. And not to mention, but he did show the Master of Metal clever tricks in the League matches as well. It would be saddening to hear of his death should it ever come so soon.

Mercedes defended Mordekaiser in many ways, one of them that proved negative rumors about him to be false. The whispered rumors about the Shadow Isles denizens are _all_ false; whether it be Mordekaiser spreading plagues and killing a famed magician, or Hecarim beheading a person who was about to become a champion, they actually lived surprisingly normal lives. These rumors were one of the reasons why the iron man had trouble getting along with others. Not to mention, but the very existence of the false information made Mordekaiser a terribly grumpy man.

Just when he was about to think of something brighter, he felt something smack his head.

"Yo," said Vi, who looked quite unenthusiastic.

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. The Piltover Enforcer wore a black suit with a fancy, pink necktie. Befitting of her, considering her 'manly' personality.

"Nice suit. You look pretty bored today; did a cat catch your tongue?"

The pink-haired woman rolled her eyes, smirking. She replied with a playful tone, "Oh, please. _I'm_ the one who catches things. And... well, I am pretty bored today. If I can't punch anything to relieve my stress... man, I get the mood swings, y'know?"

"Heh. I see where you're getting at."

The Enforcer pouted. "You don't seem convinced."

"Yes, yes, I believe you. Surprisingly. It's just that... I find it funny to see you in a _suit_ out of all things you could wear."

Vi's face was clouded by an obviously annoyed expression. Giving Mordekaiser's head a hard push, she mumbled, "Caitlyn forced me to wear this."

"_Ha ha ha, that explains everything!_"

"_Shaddup!_"

If Vi had her gauntlets with her, then there surely would've been a dent on Mordekaiser's helmet. Even without her gloves, however, she was quite strong. With a swift smack on the iron man's head, the Enforcer huffed in annoyance.

"_Ow!_ What do you think you're doing to _me_?"

"Slappin' you, of course. That actually felt good."

Mordekaiser grumbled.

Meanwhile, Ahri had also entered the wedding room. Wearing a vibrant, red dress that was quite similar to her usual attire, the Nine-Tailed Fox hummed happily. With a quick twirl to show off her clothes, the girl giggled. "Boy, I better try my best to not make Trynd' fall for me!"

As she continued to roam around the room, she found a green man-, no, _thing_ standing next to a door. The glow that came from the being, along with its lantern, let Ahri knew that she was looking at Thresh.

"Heya, Thresh! Whatcha guardin'," she asked in a friendly way.

"Okay."

"...H-Huh?"

Thresh looked at her with an emotionless expression, uttering, "Alright." The fox-girl tilted her head in confusion before coming up with something. With a wide smile, she asked, "Aha! You're pretending to be Rammus, right? That guy's adorable-"

"Nope."

"..."

Thresh looked around the place, checking for any signs of havoc being wrecked. Puffing her cheeks, Ahri mumbled, "You're ignoring me..."

"Ya."

"So... what are you exactly here for?"

"_Gee-tee-eff-oh, joo noob. Hue hue hue, gibe sum buhrgers, ja,_" said Thresh in the most confusing language he could think of.

Ahri rolled her eyes before walking away. Obviously, the Chain Warden wasn't in the mood for talking. Her last conversation with him went smoothly, but today seemed like a different story. Walking around to find someone to talk with, she found Sona Buvelle, Maven of Strings, entering the room. Some of the men inside stopped what they were doing to admire her, for she was wearing a sleek, blue dress that fit for her well. Carrying what appeared to be a present for someone, she looked around, wondering where to sit at, before being ambushed by an incredibly enthusiastic fox-girl.

"_SonaSonaSonaSonaSona!_ _Whoa..._ you look _awesome_ in that thing! Wait, actually, beautiful is a better term for that."

With the ethwahl she had brought with her, she smiled before saying, "_Well, if it isn't our favorite Ahri. You look fantastic in that dress!_"

"Hee hee, y' think? It looked like a better version of the clothes I usually wore, so I thought, 'Hmm... this might fit me!'"

Sona smiled, happy to meet the Nine-Tailed Fox. Recently, her train of thoughts had been clouded by many concerns. Meeting the cheerful girl here was quite good for her. Sona noticed Ahri staring at the present box she carried.

"_Oh,_" asked Sona, this time with her telepathy, "_this is a present for Ashe and Tryndamere. I figured that they'd like cookies._"

Ahri shivered, surprised at the sudden way Sona talked to her. "Whoa, that kinda surprised me. Anyways, that's- wait, _cookies?!_ I heard that your cookies are epic!"

Far away from the two, Jarvan IV, Prince of Demacia, stood up from the chair he was sitting on before shouting, "_Did someone say __**COOKIES?!**_"

Sona smiled before telling Ahri, "_That's great to hear. Sorry if you're not used to how I'm talking right now... I figured that using telepathic communication would be better than talking through my instruments all the time. Recently, I've been training to make this method easier._"

The Nine-Tailed Fox nodded. She still had a question in her mind, however. Sure, it made sense for Sona to think of communication methods, but she seemed to have no problems with talking with her ethwahl until now. Ahri wondered if there was another reason behind what Sona was claiming. As she pondered about the maven's true intentions, she noticed Mordekaiser talking with a pink-haired woman.

Ahri then let another thought enter her head. _'Hmm... isn't that Vi?'_

"_Hmm,_" asked Sona, curious as to where the Nine-Tailed Fox was looking at, "_what is it?_"

"Hey, hey! Sona, I just figured something out! I'm pretty clever~."

"_...Well, what did you figure out?_"

"It's about Vi," said Ahri with a somewhat enthusiastic voice, "she's been clinging on to Morde' these days. Do you think they're up to something?"

Sona blinked before finding what Ahri was referring to. Sure enough, the Piltover Enforcer was having a 'pleasant' conversation with the Master of Metal. Again. Not that the entire idea of them chatting was strange, but the fact that _he_ was constantly talking with a female human sure was something.

"_Indeed,_" said the Maven of Strings, slightly startled by how Ahri spotted the two so quickly, "_they do seem to be talking with each other quite often. But..._"

Ahri turned to face Sona with a curious expression. "But...?"

"_I think the two are simply seeing each others as friends. Considering the way they treat each other._"

The Nine-Tailed Fox looked back at the Enforcer and the iron man, both who were having a slapping contest. Neither of them seemed to be winning _or_ losing. Ahri's expression softened before she muttered in a strangely emotionless tone,

"Yeah..."

* * *

Eventually, Vi had left for the restroom, leaving Mordekaiser alone again. The Master of Metal stared at the ceiling before looking back down, only to find a certain, trigger-happy yordle sitting next to him. Tristana, the Megling Gunner, greeted him, "Hey."

"Uh... hey."

"So uh," said Tristana with a hint of nervousness in her voice, "now that we met and all, I want to apologize to you."

"...For what?"

"Well, so far, the only times when you met me were times when I drank coffee, and... uh... I'm really. _Really_ hyperactive when I drink coffee."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm..."

"...So, uh... sorry. If I caused you any trouble."

The iron man sighed, rolling his eyes in the process. "I have met far greater pests in my life. At least you know what you did wrong."

Tristana quirked her own eyebrow before asking, "So... is that a yes?"

"Yep."

The Megling Gunner sighed in relief. "Well, see you around. If I'm allowed to, that is."

Mordekaiser nodded. Just when Tristana was about to leave, she was stopped by a familiar voice that belonged to a man with a renowned mustache.

"Yo, Trist! Did'ja see that blog post I sent up? It was epic, right?"

The yordle frowned before looking back, clearly not amused. Placing a hand by her hip, she unenthusiastically said, "Draven, slicing a dragon up to seven-hundred eighty pieces is the most _random_ thing I've seen in my life so far."

Draven, who had been sitting next to Mordekaiser the entire time, touched his hair. With a wide grin, the Executioner said with pride,

"_It's not Draven. It's D__**raaaaaaaaaaaaa-**_"

Mordekaiser punched Draven in the face with the back of his fist, disturbed by the smooth voice he used. The Executioner tumbled and rolled, causing many of the chairs to topple all over the place. Thresh, who had been eating a burger, looked up from his food.

He saw Draven heading directly for him. And his burger.

"_**AUGH, SHI-**_"

With an inevitable fate, Draven's body smashed Thresh into the wall. The unfortunate wall, on the other hand, had cracked a little due to the impact. Even though he was temporarily knocked out, Draven still had that sh_**#!**_-eating grin on his face. Next to where Draven's seat originally was sat Darius, who stared at Mordekaiser with a monotone expression. Lifting a thumbs-up, both he and Tristana simultaneously said,

"Good job."

* * *

_Five minutes later..._

* * *

It didn't take long for Thresh to revive from the painful attack, and when he did, the wedding was just about to begin. The Chain Warden, along with Mordekaiser, left the room without a word. Hecarim and Yorick had prepared for the wedding itself, while Karthus mysteriously stayed in the men's restroom. An hour had passed since he had entered it.

Thresh checked his lantern up, making sure that it was sturdy enough for him to slam it onto enemies. Mordekaiser, on the other hand, had summoned his mace, waiting for any signs of strange activities. The _Wedding Hall_, which Mordekaiser called a 'church', was in an empty space of grassy land owned by the Institute. Due to the vast amount of space available, it was a perfect battlefield. The thing is, though, a church surely isn't a good battlefield.

Karthus eventually came out of the Wedding Hall. With a surprised look, Thresh asked,

"Karthus! Where the heck were you man?"

"I was constipated due to sheer excitement."

Mordekaiser rolled his eyes, who had saw the excuse coming. "You said that the last time we were forced to fight a clone of the Baron Nashor. That was also a time when you _didn't show up throughout the entire battle_."

The Deathsinger shrugged, "We all used that excuse once, so I figured I'd use it again."

Thresh and Mordekaiser gave a thoughtful look. The Master of Metal then said for the Chain Warden, "Good point."

And then Karthus sensed something dangerous coming towards them.

"I sense something dangerous coming towards us," said the Deathsinger.

"Yeah, thanks for telling the obvious, cause _**THEY'RE RIGHT IN FRONT OF US, YOU NUMBSKULL!**_"

While Mordekaiser shouted, Thresh took out his hook chain. "I see hot stuff at twelve o' clock!"

Not so far away from the three, Sejuani and Lissandra had appeared. They were in their usual battle attire, clearly not intimidated by the Shadow Isles fighters. Just when they were curious about the Freljord princesses' confidence, they saw something huge emerge from the horizon.

Thresh mumbled, "Wow."

Behind the princesses were large armies composed of Freljord warriors.

Thresh said something again, this time screaming, "_**WOOOOOW, YOU GOTTA BE SH#!ING ME!**_"

As the armies drew nearer, Karthus' eyes began to glow violently. He took out his staff dramatically, spinning it in a stylish fashion, before lifting it high up in the air. The Deathsinger yelled at the top of his lungs,

"_**REQUUUUIE-**_"

He was, however, interrupted in an unceremonious fashion. As the Freljords charged, Lissandra cast a freezing spell directly at Karthus. The Deathsinger froze on spot, unable to finish his ultimate ability. However, the Ice Witch's immobilization came with a price. Thresh gathered strength from his imprisoned souls before chanting something in an unknown language. When he was done reciting the spell, he violently struck the ground with a palm, letting his souls enter the very ground beneath him.

While Lissandra may had taken Karthus out for a considerably long time, her army faced something dreadful. The ground beneath the soldiers rumbled before a large, bony hand shot out of the ground. It had a green aura around it, and a devastating size as well. The hand grabbed a large portion of the army before sinking back into the ground. Another hand also attacked Sejuani's army. The soldiers that had fell before the mighty hands would find themselves back in their homes, for they were spared by Thresh's infamous attribute; as long as he was part of the League of Legends, he could not kill anyone other than his prisoners. He certainly found ways to inflict pain on others, though.

Gritting her teeth in anger, Sejuani yelled a battle cry, thinking that much of her warriors had been killed in cold blood. Thresh laughed, swinging his hook as he taunted,

"_Let's see which is stronger; your __**pathetic**__ flail, or my __**eternal**__ chains__**!**_"

The Chain Warden charged in at Sejuani, unfazed by her small army. The Winter's Wrath begged to differ as she too went in for a duel. Meanwhile, Mordekaiser had been playing baseball on Lissandra's army. He aimed to fight them off until Karthus' ice wears off. One by one, the people flew like ragdolls, though he wasn't allowed to kill them like Thresh. Each swing did give him satisfaction, however, as the pent up stress within him found a way to relieve itself.

However, Lissandra did not stand idly. She cast a _Glacial Path_, causing a claw to go straight towards the iron man. Mordekaiser dodged the claw before knocking over three warriors with his mace. Just when he was about to strike another soldier, he heard ice shattering behind him. Turning around, he found Karthus back in action.

With another mighty cry, the Deathsinger screamed, this time more violently than ever,

"_**REQUIEEEEM!**_"

It all happened too soon.

* * *

Sejuani only teamed up with Lissandra because Ashe just wouldn't fall. Her people's faith did not faze that easily. The Winter's Wrath was unaware of the Ice Witch's impending betrayal on her, but she could handle something under-handed. Ashe was the one queen she needed to take care of so that she could take on the true title as 'Queen of Freljord'. Breaking off the stupid wedding between the Frost Archer and the Barbarian King might have caused a possibility of Tryndamere cutting ties with Ashe.

So when she saw the hundred blasts instantly wiping out her army, she panicked.

She had been faring well against Thresh, but only because of some sacrifices made by her soldiers. Soldiers she knew of. The Winter's Wrath knew her people as a princess- no, a _queen_ of Freljord, and seeing them fall so easily against a single spell...

...it made her fear. Fear the Shadow Isles.

The Chain Warden in front of her cackled maniacally, constantly bashing his massive hook against her flail. Gritting her teeth, Sejuani blocked a few more strikes before making a sudden dash towards the Chain Warden. Mustering up all of the strength within her, she decided to take desperate measures. With a mighty jab, her flail penetrated Thresh's body. The massive ball flew out of the Warden's back. Sejuani grinned.

It faded all too quickly when Thresh roared. Suddenly, five walls were formed around the two. She was fully aware of what it was capable of in the League matches, but she didn't know what potential it had _outside_ the games. But she knew that she was trapped in the Box, and anyone would know that the Box was terrifying in all aspects.

Because that meant that they had to deal with Thresh.

"Your steed... is _interesting!_"

The Chain Warden cackled once more. Sejuani had been fighting with Bristle, her boar and steed, and apparently, Thresh had realized why the fight didn't come to an end. With a mighty punch, Thresh knocked Bristle out instantly. The hook he had in his hand ensured the guaranteed knock-out. Sejuani flew off of her boar, toppling over the ground. She forced herself to stop, not wanting to hit one of the Box's walls. The Winter's Wrath found herself facing a wall at point-blank range. Stumbling back, Sejuani stood back up, ready for whatever the Chain Warden had to offer.

"_Get over here!_"

Thresh swung his hook chain directly at Sejuani's face. The Winter's Wrath dodged the attack before grabbing the chain connected to the Warden's hook. Surprised, the Warden attempted to yank the hook back, but to no avail. Sejuani yanked the chain with all of her might, causing Thresh to literally fly towards the queen. Gathering strength on her other hand, she gripped her flail before smashing the Shadow Isles denizen's face with it.

Much to her surprise, while Thresh's head flew away, his body didn't.

His body suddenly glowing a deathly red, the Chain Warden's body grabbed the Wrath's neck. Gasping for breath, Sejuani attempted to free herself from Thresh's grip. He seemed to taunt her by loosening his grip for a quick second before tightening it again. As Sejuani's movements became slower and slower, Thresh's grip seemed to get tighter and tighter.

She didn't want to die like this. Sejuani had people to lead. A place to rule over. Suddenly regretting that she even went as far to ask _Lissandra's_ help out of all people, her vision began to fade. Ashe would get married with Tryndamere, and Lissandra _might_ have a chance of running away from Mordekaiser. In the end, she was the only one losing. Not even the Ice Witch would lose much. And even with all of her planning and early analysis on who she might encounter, she _still_ lost to a Chain Warden. Sejuani felt humiliated and disgraced in every way.

And then suddenly, someone entered the box.

Her eyes set their gaze on a large figure. She couldn't tell at first thanks to her blurry vision. The being destroyed the wall with a weapon before stumbling backwards. It didn't give up apparently, as it began to charge inside once more. With a mighty dash, the being used its weapon, which appeared to be a mace, to smash Thresh's body away. It didn't hesitate one bit; it literally destroyed the body into two pieces. With the Warden's hands pried away from her, Sejuani was allowed to breathe again.

Mordekaiser had saved her.

* * *

Grabbing Sejuani's shoulder and waist, the iron man yelled, "_**WAKE UP, LOSER!**_"

When she didn't respond, he was about to slap her like an ignorant fool before feeling something smack the back of his head. Grunting in pain, the Master of Metal turned back, finding Karthus with his staff in front of his face.

"She may be a loser, and she may be our enemy. But from what I learned in my unlife in Shadow Isles, _most dead people could never open their eyes. _Do you want her to lose her life like how many of Mercede's friends have?"

Mordekaiser looked back at Sejuani. Indeed, Mercedes was known to have many deceased friends due to a single terrorism act. The summoner had managed to catch the criminals, but at the price of his friends' lives. Even now, though many see him as an honorable, public figure, those who remember the incident see him more as a tragic man.

Now, back to reality. The queen's eyes were partially open, but this didn't help the Master of Metal calm down one bit.

"Karthus, _Mercedes_ told me to protect the Hall. So if someone _dies_ here, then what do you think would happen?"

"...Uhh," said the Deathsinger with a thoughtful look, "sue you?"

"_No, you ignorant imbecile! He's gonna force us to eat __**EIGHTY-THOUSAND ROTTEN BURRITOS!**_"

"_**W.T.F., DO YOU KNOW WHO TO TAKE HER TO, THEN?!**_"

Mordekaiser thought carefully. Snapping his fingers as if he figured out a Calculus problem, he announced, "_I know!_ I'm gonna visit Shen?"

"_Don't __**ASK**__ me, you idiot! Let's go!_"

"What about Hecarim and Yorick?"

"They just finished, so we need to go now. And _fast_. Don't worry, I contacted them through my awesome telepathy."

"Your telepathy hurts like sh_**#!**_ whenever you talk with me, though..."

Thresh, on the other hand, had woken up with his body fully in-tact. "Hey guys, what's going on- ...dude, did you kill her or something?"

Mordekaiser prevented himself from killing Thresh for a second time.

* * *

_Fifteen minutes later..._

* * *

After taking Sejuani to Shen's place, the doctor himself thanked Mordekaiser for bringing the Winter's Wrath in. However, just when the Master of Metal was about to leave, he heard Shen call out to him,

"Mordekaiser!"

"What is it, fool?"

"Here's something you should keep in mind, though," said the Eye of Twilight, "as much as how much I'm thankful for you bringing her in..."

"...?"

"Thanks to you, business is boomin'."

Mordekaiser's face cringed in confusion. "Uhh... thanks?"

"_**NO!**_ I meant that you should stop hurting others. Sure, I'm making lots of money, but many of the patients involve you nowadays."

Rolling his eyes while swinging his hands in the air dramatically, the Master of Metal sarcastically replied, "Fine! I'll kill them next time so that you only have to fix them once!"

Walking away from the hospital, he sighed. Hecarim had found Bristle, Sejuani's boar, and took him to Shen as well. The Horseman claimed that 'Mordekaiser kicked some butt and ate some oranges.' It had been yet another big day. Unbeknownst to him, a certain Frost Archer ran to the hospital after hearing about the Winter's Wrath being hurt.

Meanwhile, Garen, the Might of Demacia, remembered something just after attending Ashe and Tryndamere's wedding.

* * *

**Author's Notes: Next up- "Demacian Confusion!"**

**For the battle between Sejuani and Thresh, keep this in mind; through Thresh's point-of-view, everything isn't that serious. Through Sejuani's point-of-view, Thresh is depicted as a madman.**

**Mordekaiser's (both old and new) lores are simply rumors in Steel Revolution.**


	10. A Date With Danger!

**Author's Notes: This chapter was completely reworked from 'Garen and the Foreign, Armored Lady' with 'A Date with Danger!'. I thought it was (overall) a better and more interesting chapter that would actually focus on the Master of Metal and his buddies, along with a Void champion. With that said, enjoy.**

* * *

Mordekaiser woke up on his comfy sofa. Annoyed by the blinding light coming from the windows, he covered his eyes. He could never seem to find a way to block the light, as the windows repelled anything placed on it for some reason. Might've been some protection magic, but he had no need for such curse placed on his windows. Muttering inaudible things, he closed his eyes once more. He gave up due to the pleasant steel of his sofa. And for some reason, today, he felt really... _soft._ Soft in a blissful way. His chest felt lighter than usual, and his body didn't feel that cold at all. The iron man pulled the blanket closer to him as he-

_...Wait... wait a minute..._

The Master of Metal looked down, curious as to what he was holding onto. As far as he knew, he hadn't created or bought any blankets for his sofa. And he surely didn't bring the one from his bedroom.

Instead of a blanket, Mordekaiser found Draven, who was wide awake and staring at the iron man.

"_Yo, yo, so I heard you like flesh blankets. Lemme show you how to play tic-tac-toe in the League of D**raaaaven**!_"

Mordekaiser screamed,

* * *

"_**AUGHHHHH!**_"

The Master of Metal took deep breaths as he sat up from his sofa. Looking at his side, when he found no Draven, he felt relieved. That last thing he wanted to see was the Executioner sitting next to him for over thirty seconds. Sighing, the iron man closed his eyes once more. He felt quite heavy unlike when he was in his nightmare- no, he felt _heavier than usual._ Opening his eyes in confusion, Mordekaiser looked up to see if something was on his chest.

There wasn't.

Sighing in relief, the iron man got up from his sofa before getting up. He went to his refrigerator before taking out a can of soda. Opening it, he was just about to drink when he heard something knock on his door once.

"Great," grumbled the iron man as he scratched his helmet furiously, "I guess I'll need to install that automated voice machine to tell everyone to stay out..."

He headed over to the door before opening it, revealing two people standing straight. It was none other than Sejuani, the Winter's Wrath, and Twisted Fate, the Card Master. The gambler grinned as he let out a hand, saying with a somewhat friendly voice, "Hey, partner. How've you been doin'?"

Mordekaiser chuckled before he shook Fate's hand. He both hated and loved being with the Card Master depending on what he was doing at the moment. Twisted Fate was a decent man outside of gambling, though you still need to have a low temper against his ways of lying now and then; a habit he had earned from his path to riches. "Ah, if it isn't the Card Master. Glad to see you around; I still have to thank you for shutting that one yordle up with your enhanced Yellow Card. You have brought... the queen of Freljord with you, correct?"

Twisted Fate turned to take a quick glance at the Freljordian leader of the Winter's Claw, who had a stern look on her face. She was not with Bristle this time, fearing that she might get the boar hurt by Mordekaiser in some way. Sejuani didn't exactly trust the Master of Metal yet.

"Eh... yeah. She said something 'bout having to thank you for some incident that recently happened. Hard to imagine you _helping_ people, y' know?"

Mordekaiser fell silent. He sighed before muttering, "I had no choice." The Card Master grinned wider, patting the iron man's chest armor lightly.

"We all have a bad side, but we also have good ones. Now, may I?"

The Master of Metal turned back before heading to his room, giving a quick nod to let Fate inside. The card shark whistled, impressed by the steel interior designed entirely by Mordekaiser- well, most of it, that is. He looked around before finding a chair placed in the middle of the room. "Did'ja use this before we came in?"

"Nope," said the iron man, shaking his head, "that would be Vi's work. She's gone now, so make yourself comfortable. Just don't steal my money."

The Card Master chuckled before taking out a small, rectangular container that was made of gold and metal. He opened it, revealing his own deck of cards. Twisted Fate took them out before beginning to shuffled them around. "I've got plenty to do other than stealing money; one of them being to prepare for my next gambling session. Go do your business with the queen, would'ja?"

Reassured that the card shark _wouldn't_ steal his money, Mordekaiser turned to face Sejuani, who was sitting near the dining table. She felt his gaze, making her turn to face him. The iron man headed over to the table before taking a seat.

"So, what brings you here?"

Sejuani cleared her throat before saying,

"I despise Shadow Isles, and I despise everything about it. It is full of abominations that seek out blood, and my people know that they are not ones that could talk with reason. There is no reason within them, after all. They are dead and alive; things that couldn't be considered as humans. Nothing stops them from attacking others, and I am certain that they would attack my people without hesitation. Even the Void has some creatures that could be reasoned with unlike the monsters in-"

As Sejuani continued her speech, Mordekaiser suddenly felt a dreadful feeling coming to him. It made him feel woozy but alerted at the same time. Confused by how his vision started to blur out, he fought an unknown urge threatening to consume him whole. As he continued pretending to hear the Winter's Wrath out, the Master of Metal came with a horrifying revelation.

He was _bored._ Bored out of his _mind._

The iron man wept in his own world,

_It's soooooooo..._ _**boring...**_

At this point, the Winter's Wrath had closed her eyes, deep in thought and sharing her experiences about her first encounter with one of Shadow Isle's inhabitants. This allowed Mordekaiser to seek help from the Card Master, who seemed amused at how the iron man was visibly in pain from the long speech. The Master of Metal mouthed clearly,

_MAKE. IT. STOP._

Twisted Fate opened his mouth to say something, but it shut as quickly as it was opened. He had lots of luck, but he didn't want to take his chances in ticking off the queen of the Winter's Claw. Freljordians had the tendency to talk a lot when they wanted to say something, so the card shark understood why someone short-tempered like Mordekaiser would find it absolutely _painful_ to have a lengthy conversation with a Freljordian. The Card Master shook his head, signifying that he wouldn't be able to help, before heading over to the iron man's sofa. Turning on the television at some cheap movie channel would at least settle Mordekaiser's mind a little- just a little.

Then Sejuani began to conclude her unnecessarily long message,

"...and so, I would like to tell you this. As the queen of the Winter's Claw, I humbly thank you for saving my life. I never thought that one from Shadow Isles would protect me from his own kind, and for that, I am grateful."

Mordekaiser, who had pretended to listen to the entire speech, nodded before telling her, "That was the longest speech I had ever heard in my entire freaking life. You are welcome."

Sejuani bowed before standing up from her chair. She then left the room without a word. When the door was shut, the iron man's face slammed itself on the dining table. Twisted Fate asked from the sofa, "So, how was it like to hear a Freljordian out? And a queen, out of all people, too?"

The Master of Metal grumbled, "It sucked."

"Heh, don't worry. You'll be seeing her a lot more soon."

* * *

Twisted Fate eventually left the Master of Metal's dormitory, allowing silence to return in the iron man's place He simply stared out the largest window in the living room, watching over the Institute. Mordekaiser knew that thanks to Mercedes, he had been able to make his name known among more people, and in a less negative light, too. His recent activities had gotten himself closer with the champions, which was quite interesting to even the iron man himself. After observing the Institute a little more, he turned back, heading to his sofa again.

He never had the chance to, however, as he saw something wandering around his room.

"..._is that a horse?!_"

And then something hit the back of his head.

* * *

_One hour later..._

* * *

...

...

...

_Ugh... wow, I feel like puking... where the heck am I?_

Mordekaiser woke up. He had been knocked out by an unknown object in his own dormitory. Whatever or whoever that wanted to attack him used a _horse_ out of all things to distract him. The fact that he fell for it was worse. Shaking his head, he looked around before noticing something.

He was hanging from the ceiling of Thresh's Prison. Tied up with a tight rope, too.

"Oh, _come on!_"

However, he wasn't the only one around. Around him (tied upside down as well) were none other than his Shadow Isles buddies: Hecarim, Karthus, Yorick, and Thresh himself. They were, like him, complaining at how the situation was annoying to them as well. Except for Hecarim, though; he was still knocked out cold. All of them were tied at the center of the ceiling, making them quite close to each other.

"...so," asked Mordekaiser to Thresh, "you mind how we ended up in this mess?"

The Chain Warden grumbled, "Don't ask me. All I know is that this ward was not made to _lock **ME** in!_ I was sleepin' _aaaaaaall_ good and innocent until something hit my head. It's nice to have company, though!"

Karthus rolled his eyes as he sarcastically asked, "Yeah, says the one who _accidentally_ locked the _president_ of the _Institute_ on _accident_ at one point?"

"Hey, he really looked like a robber at that time! For _some _reason, that is..."

Yorick bluntly stated, "I feel dizzy."

"Yeah, no sh_**#&**_," replied Mordekaiser, who was quite angry at this point, "I feel like barfing."

Hecarim, who was surprisingly well-tied to the ceiling, lazily said as he woke up, _"Blargh... _man, _I_ feel so _high_ right now."

Mordekaiser, who was tied next to the Horseman, raised an eyebrow. "...I hope you meant it the literal way. Because a Hecarim that's high definitely isn't good news."

"_**I guess it's time to reveal myself,**_" said a mysterious voice in the dark. Everyone looked below in curiosity.

Below them was someone who appeared to be a summoner. He had golden stripes across his hood, signifying that he was from a high class. "_**I have decided to get rid of you bumbling dolts for the greater good of the Institute. Capturing you all one-by-one proved easier than I thought. I have ****overestimated you fools' intelligence.**_"

"Hey," said Thresh, annoyed by the man he was facing, "I'm smarter than ninety-eight percent of the population in this world. Beat that, genius."

Karthus turned to face Thresh, eyes widened. "If _you're_ smarter than the ninety-eight percent, than I guess I'm at the apex when it comes to intelligence, then!"

"Hey!"

"_**Enough already! Now that the Shadow of War has awakened just now, I shall reveal to you something... pleasant.**_"

The summoner stepped aside, revealing the weapons of the Shadow Isles denizens. Hecarim, who found his own weapon sitting in front of him, complained, "Oh, ho, come _on!_ I just sharpened that thing!"

Yorick, once again, bluntly stated, "That's so D-List."

Every of the Shadow Isles fighters agreed, with Karthus nodding violently for no real reason. "Totally D-List."

"E-List."

"No, it's Zero List, you stupid pony!"

"Shut up, tin can!"

"_WHAT'CHOO CALL ME?!_"

"_**ENOUGH!**_"

Everyone turned to look at the summoner, who was quite ignored up to this point. He was seething with anger.

"_**You... you all are reasons for why I can't progress to the Platinum leagues! All of you made me lose the mandatory matches. All of you! You are all fathomable, repugnant, and unneeded! You are all disgusting abominations, and there's no place for you among the Legends!**_"

The elite summoner began to gather dark magic energy, which crackled violently underneath his hands. He was about to use high-class combat magic, which made all of the Shadow Isle Dudes make 'O-Faces'.

"_**Begone, fiends! And never stop my way to glory again!**_"

…

…

"..._**AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH,**_" screamed everyone except the summoner.

"_HOLY CRAP, I NEED MY LANTERN!_"

"_I'll have to dig my own grave if I'm gonna die any sooner- oh wait a__ minute_-"

"_WHAT THE- WHY ARE WE TALKING IN ITALICIZED TEXT?!_"

"_I'M TOO YOUNG TO**-**_... I mean, _I'M TOO OLD TO DIE! **YET!**_"

As the Shadow Isles Dudes began to panic, Mordekaiser began to think of a way they could get out of this situation. Currently, the summoner was still gathering energy (like a D-List villain) that had the potential to kill them, and if strong enough, kill them _forever_. He couldn't do anything about it right at the moment, so he needed to think of something clever. Something extremely clever that only someone from Shadow Isles would think of.

And then he thought of one of the dumbest, yet best solutions.

"_Karthus,_" screamed Mordekaiser in a high-pitched voice, "The _Grudge_! I see the _Grudge_! _She's heading for the biggest smooch 'mankind would ever see' with you!_"

Karthus also screamed like a girl before unconsciously screaming,

"_**HOLY-F#&K-A-MOLE, REQUIEEEEEEEEEEEM!**_"

The elite summoner's eyes widened before attempting to fire his dark magic, but it was too late. Karthus' _Requiem_ had been cast, causing the spell to come with a powerful impact. Just before the attack, the summoner cried out, "_**NO-**_"

He had no choice but to get smashed into the ground. As he fell, the magic uncontrollably shot out, destroying a part of the ceiling. Light peered into the prison building, causing every single one of the Shadow Isles denizens groan in annoyance. When the elite summoner began to stand on his feet (surprisingly), Yorick's eyes flashed. And when his eyes flash, it usually meant that he was up to something.

"_Yorick,_" whispered Mordekaiser, "_do you have something in mind?_"_  
_

The Gravedigger stared off into empty space. It took a few seconds for him to reply, "No."

Everyone except the summoner groaned again.

The elitist began to gather magic once more, clearly intent on killing the champions permanently. He was heavily injured thanks to _Requiem_, but it wasn't enough to kill him for some reason. With that being seen, Thresh took a hidden item out of his pockets before fiddling around with it. Noticing his suspicious movements, Hecarim asked, "Thresh, what'cha got there?"

The Chain Warden revealed a hand grenade to his friends.

"Holy _**BALLS**,_" said a shocked Karthus.

"_THROW IT, DUDE! THROW IT! THROW IT! THROW IT!_"

"_DUDE, IT'S UNPINNED! WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR?!_"

As the rest of the Shadow Isles inhabitants began to shout in fear, Thresh aimed... before throwing it at the summoner. Due to the fact that he was focusing all of his energy into charging his spell, the villain guilty of capturing the five champions did not realize the hand grenade rolling below him.

It continued to roll... and roll... and roll...

...

"Thresh," said Yorick, "I think you missed."

An explosion, along with a flabbergasted summoner, proved his theory to be correct.

"_Dang_," mumbled the Chain Warden, "_I stole that from Ziggs, too..._"

Just when all hope seemed to be lost, the sound of a door opening echoed across the building. Everyone turned to face the mystery newcomer, who entered casually.

"Hey Thresh," said Kha'Zix, the Voidreaver, "I wanna test something. I'm gonna evolve my sh**#&**, and you're gonna- wh_uuuu_at the _heck_ happened to _you_ guys?!"

The purple predator of the Void, who currently had his Spike Racks evolved for whatever reason he had, let his jaw hang, clearly confused at the current situation. The summoner, on the other hand, became frightened of the champion's presence.. He turned around before attempting to hit Kha'Zix with his lethal magic. However, Mordekaiser acted on a faster note,

"_Kha'Zix! Kill this bub and get us out of here!_"

The Voidreaver's eyes widened when he realized that a magic bolt was sent flying straight towards him. On pure instinct, Kha'Zix flexed his legs... before jumping over the powerful spell. He landed in front of the summoner, who had fell on his back in surprise. The elitist focused his energy before using _Flash_ on himself to quickly teleport behind the predator. When the one guilty of attempting to kill five champions began to run for the exit, the Voidreaver growled,

"_Oh?_ So you think that you'll get away with trying to _kill_ me? Well, I'm sorry, but as short as our meeting was..."

Kha'Zix revealed several spikes protruding from his shoulders before he aimed carefully. He then muttered,

"_Die running._"

He fired his Spike Racks, one by one, at the running summoner. Each spike slowed the man down as he began to bleed out. When the final spike hit the summoner, Kha'Zix had appeared right behind him. Impaling the criminal with both of his claws, the Voidreaver began to pull the sharp weapons violently.

With a final scream, the elite summoner who swore revenge on five Shadow Isles champions was torn in half.

"Yeah," yelled Thresh, happy to find that the 'D-List' villain was taken care of quite quickly, "those things are so- _OW, SOMETHING HIT MY FACE!_"

Hecarim screamed wildly when a liver blinded him from the world. Kha'Zix went over to the champions before untying them from their ropes. "So, uh," asked the Voidreaver, "what exactly happened here? I just kinda killed him without knowing what I was doing, but... hey, he was assaulting me, so the Institute won't blame me if I tell them. And they know how my drift goes."

Mordekaiser grumbled, "Something about us forcing him to stay out of the Platinum leagues. Quite a stupid reason, if you ask me."

"...Seriously? _Platinum_ leagues? Apparently, this guy didn't even know about how the _Challenger_ tiers are _really_ life-changing," said Kha'Zix.

Yorick agreed with a nod of his head. Karthus, on the other hand, stated, "May that be a lesson to us, for we have now learned that many of the guilty could be D-List, and would stop nothing at doing underhanded D-List things."

"Indeed," agreed Hecarim.

While they were all talking about how anti-climatic the villain died, Kha'Zix asked himself,

"What the heck is _D-List_, anyways?"

* * *

Every of the 'Shadow Isles Dudes' eventually left the prison. Thresh, Karthus, Hecarim, and Yorick went out to search for any place that could allow them to party hard, while Mordekaiser left for his dormitory. Kha'Zix left to personally discuss with the high councilors about the topic of the elite summoner. Yawning, the Master of Metal walked alone, heading for the Champions' Break. As he walked, he recalled a certain Horseman telling him about the wedding that was held not so long ago,

"_Hey, it wasn't my fault that the wedding went kinda screwed! After Yorick finished his horrible priest speech, Ashe and Tryndamere tried to leave while you guys were in battle! I literally had to stop everything before hosting a party. Blew tons of gold at that time..."_

He chuckled, remembering Hecarim's infuriated attitude. Entering the main building that contained the dormitories, the Master of Metal went for the elevator.

_I guess some Cola would make my day even better._

* * *

**Author's Notes: Next chapter- "Carnival Phantasm!****"**

**Man, this chapter was actually rushed! Sorry for the long absence, I was recently away from writing this story and focused more on playing the actual game to learn more stuff. :P**

**Yes, I poked fun on the topic of 'original villain characters' a little, but it's only for satiric humor.**

**The original chapters 'Demacian Confusion!' and 'Garen and the Foreign, Armored Lady!' were deleted due to the fact that they weren't exactly funny at all.**


	11. Carnival Phantasm!

_Mordekaiser's Third Summoner's Rift Match (After Isolation)_

_The Master of Metal had stacked up his Iron Man using the Wraiths in his team's jungle, allowing him to soak up the damage being dealt by Hecarim, the Shadow of War. However, he couldn't let his guard down, as he knew what the being he faced was capable of. The Shadow of War constantly used his Rampage whenever he had the chance to, and his Spirit of Dread drained Mordekaiser's Iron Man shield. After another burst of skills sent at each other, the two Shadow Isles fighters backed away from each other. Their teammates were too busy fighting another battle nearby the dragon, so it was a duel that couldn't be avoided from._

_Mordekaiser used his Mace of Spades and Siphon of Destruction to quickly regain his shield from an incoming wave of minions, while Hecarim used some of Mordekaiser's blue minions to heal up a little with the Spirit of Dread. Twirling his spear around, the hellish horseman charged at the Master of Metal, with Mordekaiser doing the same. They clashed again with the same skill combinations, and at this point, they knew that the battle wouldn't end if one of them didn't do something different._

_Hecarim then went for the offensive. Charging in without a Devastating Charge, he used his Rampage to constantly attack Mordekaiser. The iron man attacked back with a Mace of Spades, decreasing the overall damage he received from the sudden blow. They knew that the battle was about to end; they just needed to use their ultimate abilities to decide who would emerge as the victor. The Master of Metal gathered his focus and energy before casting Children of the Grave with a violent roar, while Hecarim cast Onslaught of Shadows, summoning spectral riders to attack alongside him as he charged towards his foe. Mordekaiser hit Hecarim one last time with a Siphon of Destruction before charging in as well, ready to see which of the Shadow Isles fighters would be victorious._

_However, just when they were about to deal their final blows, something beat them to it. Mordekaiser and Hecarim both tripped, surprised at the unsuspected attacks. They didn't get up, as these attacks finished them off without a word._

_Attacks that came from none other than waves of minions from both sides._

* * *

Mordekaiser continued to sleep, growling at the flashback of his previous match. As he began to drool, Vi, the Piltover Enforcer, walked out of the bedroom. She wore an over-sized, purple t-shirt and short, pink pants. The pink-haired girl drank some of the soda she had brought out from the bedroom.

"Ah," said a half-awake Vi, "nothing but some mornin' soda."

Mordekaiser woke up from his daze, wiping the drool from his mouth with a tissue (made of steel, obviously). He then said,

"...Uh... huh? Ah, if it isn't Vi, the Master of Freeloading."

Vi grinned. "I like that name. Sort of, at least." As she began roaming around the living room, the iron man asked her,

"Enforcer, is there anything important coming up? I'm planning on hanging out with my friends if nothing's in store for me."

"Friends?" The pink-haired girl stifled a laughter before bursting out loud, "You had _friends?! L.O.L-_"

"_**SHUT UP, WOMAN!**_"

While Vi laughed ever so loudly, the Master of Metal grumbled before getting off of his sofa. He headed over to his refrigerator before taking out his own soda. By the time he had come back, the Piltover Enforcer was calm again.

"Sorry 'bout that," said Vi, who took deep breaths to get a hold of herself, "it was just _really_ unexpected to hear _that_ coming from you."

Mordekaiser sat back down on his sofa, opening his soda can. He then stopped to take some time into settling his watered mind. The recent events surely made him restless, so he needed to seclude himself in peace before encountering any other bizarre situations in the Institute.

Just when he began to think, someone knocked on his door. Once. Snapping a closed eye open, the Master of Metal put down his soda, which had not been touched by his lips yet, before heading towards the door.

He opened it, revealing Mercedes smiling at him.

…

Mordekaiser shut the door. Or at least, he tried to. The old summoner expertly caught the closing door with that same expression on his face. Sighing, the Master of Metal let the old man enter. Mercedes asked as he entered,

"Heh, what's this? Are you starting to hate me now?"

"Yes, Mercedes. _Yes._"

The old summoner snatched Mordekaiser's soda away from where it rested, drinking it without touching the can with his lips. He then put it back down before telling the Master of Metal,

"I was just... curious of how you were doing, this time. No requests; nothin'. Oh yeah, hello, Vi!"

Vi, who was hanging around nearby the kitchen, waved a hand at Mercedes as she downed an entire soda in just two shots. The old man smiled, and when she headed back inside the kitchen for more drinks, he gave Mordekaiser a nudge. "Are you getting lucky or what?"

"The Enforcer empties my refrigerator once per day."

"On a second thought, you're getting unlucky."

The two had a decent conversation in the end. It had been a long time since the two had done so with each other, with Mercedes being busy with Institute business _and_ training his own group of summoner students. He claimed that retiring actually felt satisfying; that is, if you were once the champion of the Challenger Tier. The old man stood up from the sofa he sat on, heading for the door. He snapped his fingers before pointing at the iron man, saying, "See you at the carnival, Master of Metal. It's gonna be fun, y'know?"

"Heh, I'll be looking forward to it."

And with that, Mercedes left.

…

_...Wait, what carnival?_

When Vi came out from the kitchen with another can of soda, Mordekaiser asked her immediately,

"Enforcer, Mercedes had mentioned something about a carnival taking place... is this true?"

The Piltover Enforcer raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

Then her eyes widened in horror.

"Sh_**#&**_!"

"_Where?!..._ Oh wait, you meant it in the technical way. I see what you did there-"

"Morde'... I just remembered, there's a carnival that all champions _need_ to attend."

"Great, just great," muttered the iron man, "what's next, _you need a partner to enter?_"

Vi stood still, dumbstruck. "How'd you know?"

Mordekaiser froze. "Wait, really? You need a _partner_ to enter a _carnival_ in order to have _'fun'_?"

The Enforcer nodded before adding in, "Of the opposite sex."

The two were completely frozen at this point. Many thoughts were wandering around their heads, but there was one that particularly stood out. One that they both thought of at once.

_No one's gonna be partners with me... except...!_

When their gazes locked on to each other's, Vi tossed her soda aside while Mordekaiser leapt over his sofa. The two firmly grabbed each other's hands with wide grins.

"Problem solved," said Vi, recovering quite quickly from her shock. The Master of Metal chuckled before replying, "There's always a solution."

"Yeah... so, uh, do you even know how the carnival goes? And what're you gonna wear, anyways?"

"I should be asking that question," said Mordekaiser with a chuckle, "because you coming in with a suit would just be plain funny."

Vi stiffened before nudging the iron man, "That was Caitlyn's fault..."

"Have you ever considered the possibility of you going with her-"

"_Shut up!_"

The Piltover Enforcer threw a can of soda at Mordekaiser's head, making him stagger in place. She then mumbled, "_Anyways,_ I'm thinking about wearing an actual dress. Maybe a yukata, considering how many people are planning on wearing one."

Mordekaiser put on a thoughtful look before telling the pink-haired Enforcer, "Ahri should know her stuff when it comes to yukatas. She once shoved Hecarim into one- at least, that's from what I've heard, so why not?"

"Yeeeeeah. Well, the carnival starts tonight. You know that, right?"

"Yep. I got my outfit ready, in fact?"

Vi let a wide grin plaster over her face. "What's this? Got your own suit?"

"Yes. Let me show you."

Mordekaiser clutched his torso armor... before tearing it off like butter. His body underneath looked very human, though a little more on the muscular side. He then fidgeted around with the back of his helmet, allowing long, black hair to flow out.

…

…

"...You know, if I didn't know much of your intentions, then I would'a called the police by now."

"But you _are_ the police. Technically."

Vi rolled her eyes before shaking her head in disbelief. "So _this_ is your outfit? No shirt, more hair?"

Mordekaiser nodded, laughing in delight. He seemed to be quite pleased with his choice of clothing. "I always dress up like this whenever I play _Pentakill Legends._"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you metal, gaming freak," said Vi, who had begun to head out of the dormitory, "meet me in the lobby. Six o' clock. We'll plan some more stuff out at that time."

The Master of Metal said nothing, watching the Piltover Enforcer leaving. Once she left, he looked down, checking his body out.

"...There's nothing really wrong with this getup, right?"

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

* * *

Kha'Zix sat on a bench in the First Floor's lobby. There wasn't a single champion outside thanks to the upcoming carnival, and this allowed him to test more interesting experiments with more space available. His eyes jerked open, finding a idea he thought as 'clever'. The Voidreaver stood up before distancing himself from the bench.

"_I'm gonna evolve... my eyes! Hnghhhhhhhh-_"

With that said, Kha'Zix concentrated on _evolving his eyes_. A few moments later, his eyes bulged out abnormally. The Voidreaver touched his eyes with his claws (which weren't sharpened yet).

"Well... that didn't work out as I thought it would. Now I can see a little _too _much."

After he devolved his eyes back to normal, he shoved them back into his sockets before he heard someone heading towards him. Blinking, he turned to face whoever that had business with him.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the fresh Maven of Strings! Looking delicious as ever, I see."

Sona Buvelle, who wore her usual outfit, slowly approached the Voidreaver. She forced a smile, not wanting to take note of Kha'Zix's 'compliment'. The maven telepathically greeted him,

"_Hello, Kha'Zix. What might you be doing here alone? Were you not informed of the upcoming carnival?"_

The Voidreaver scratched his head before answering with a shrug, "I know. I'm actually going alone; the Prince of Demacia and the co-hosts sent from the Institute allowed it _'because I'm Kha'Zix'_. I was annoyed at what he said at first, but the _way_ he said it... he seemed quite happy to find that I'm Kha'Zix for some reason."

Sona nodded. She then began to fidget around with the etwahl she brought with her. Raising a brow, the Voidreaver asked the maven, "Is something wrong? Perhaps you were rejected by someone?"

Sona shook her head before replying, _"Nothing. It is nothing... After all, I'm going to be working in a stall during the carnival, so I do not need a partner. Necessarily, that is. Anyways, I shall be seeing you in the carnival, I assume. Please, take care."_

She bowed respectfully before heading back to somewhere. Kha'Zix scratched his chin before coming up with a conclusion as to why she looked a little out of place.

"...I think she evolved her instrument, and she's not used to it yet! Hmm... maybe I should evolve my _brain_ to understand this situation!"

The instant moment he did, he fainted for an entire hour. He woke up in his own dormitory thanks to a good-hearted Might of Demacia.

* * *

The time eventually hit six o' clock, and Vi stood in the First Floor's lobby. Everyone had gone off to the actual carnival at this point. She wore a yellow yukata that was adorned with blue dragon designs decorating the entire dress. It was quite the sight, as she usually never wore anything fancy like a dress, but today was different. Everyone was going to wear either really fancy or wacky things, and she didn't want to stay on the idiotic side. Vi _was_ a girl, after all.

Sighing, the Piltover Enforcer sat on a bench before mumbling, "What's taking that bub so long..."

And then she heard heavy footsteps. Heavy, _metal_ footsteps.

Looking over to the iron man, Vi simply stared at Mordekaiser, not surprised at his clothing of choice. Not only did the Master of Metal really leave his room shirtless, but he now wore an altered version of what he wore earlier. This time, his armor for his arms were intact, and his leg armor was cleanly separated from his normal outfit. The most eye-catching attribute was the item he brought with him; it was a red, deadly-looking guitar that was, indeed, worn out, but greatly contrasted to his getup.

"...Really? _This_ is how you'd dress up for a carnival? A _guitar hero_?"

Once he was in front of her, Mordekaiser chuckled, "I'm just showing how awesome I could be."

Vi sighed before standing up. "Well," said the Enforcer, who actually looked a little excited, "what're we waiting for? Let's get at 'em!"

"Hmph."

The Master of Metal walked alongside the Piltover Enforcer. They began talking about whether the carnival would actually be worth their time or not. Mordekaiser didn't seem to care one bit about the festival, but Vi seemed to see the event at a more positive and curious light. The Piltover Enforcer _was_ quite the newcomer compared to older champions when it came to social events specifically designed for champions.

The carnival, which is nicknamed 'The Phantasm', is a feisty festival where it allows champions to have fun in various ways. It was an idea made by both Demacia and the Institute to let friendships flourish outside of the Summoner's Rift matches. There are obviously benefits for joining the carnival, and not attending may result in some minor consequences for a champion's career. In a sense, it was a necessary event to enter for the champions, but at the same time, a time where they could relax outside from staying in their dormitories. Contract-summoners and non-champions of high ranks from the Institute were allowed to enter the carnival without anything to worry about.

Mordekaiser didn't mind about going to a carnival; he would go even without Mercedes forcing him to. However, what really made him hesitate to enter was the entire idea of going with partners. To him, the concept of it seemed quite forced, but he also had to wonder about whether others actually enjoyed this idea or not.

The two arrived at the entrance, which had Xin Zhao, the Seneschal of Demacia, standing by a reception desk in the open entrance field.

"Hm. If it isn't the Piltover Enforcer... and the Master of Metal..."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow, confused at why Xin himself looked puzzled.

"...I assume the two of you came as partners?"

Vi nodded as she smacked the iron man's back lightly. "This bub's mine for the day. Now write that down, will ya? We get to go in for free, right?"

Xin replied with a stern look, "Yes. It is all thanks to Jarvan Lightguard the Fourth, who was generous enough to-"

Mordekaiser and Vi brushed past the Seneschal, heading inside the wide open carnival. It was quite the festival, with many stalls set up with different kinds of things to explore through. The light stands made the place have a lively atmosphere underneath the dark and starry night. Wherever they looked, the carnival was _bumbling_ with people; most of them being high-class Institute members or elite summoners. The Master of Metal's eyes flashed when he caught the sight of a drink stand. In a blink of the eye (technically), the iron man bought a soda for himself while the Piltover Enforcer was standing in awe.

"So," said the iron man, who enjoyed his cold drink, "I guess we are now free to roam around."

Vi gave him a weird look. Pouting, she asked him, "Are you ditching me, bub?"

"Yes."

"Too bad, cause I need some company right now! C'mon, it'll be somewhat entertaining!"

The Piltover Enforcer grabbed Mordekaiser's hand with an insane amount of strength, causing the iron man to twitch erratically. As he whined, groaned, and cried in pain, Vi looked around for something that matched her tastes, she found an exceptionally wide stall. The label, 'Flail Or Fail', was enough to catch her attention. "Oh, goody. I've always loved flails...-ish," whispered the pink-haired girl, oblivious of the dying Master of Metal behind her. Sejuani, who was hosting the game, could be heard giving different reactions depending on how well the contestants did.

"You really need to work out more often, summoner. Maybe next time... hmm? What's this?"

The Winter's Wrath took note of Vi, who practically looked like a dog ready to bite off a frisbee off of its owner's hand, before grinning. "If it is not the Piltover Enforcer! Are you perhaps interested in testing your strength?"

Vi nodded with a grin, "Heck yeah! Just gimme the flail and I'll whack the crap out of anything in store! Here's the thirty gold."

Sejuani took out a leather flail (obviously without anything harmful sticking out of it) before handing it to Vi, who immediately snatched it away. After taking the money, she pointed at target dummy made of fragile ice off at a fair distance. There were walls, fences, and other safety structures literally designed to not hurt anyone other than the sculpture. "Pretty simple; use the flail to break that target from a distance. Any method is allowed, but magic could not be used in any way."

The Enforcer observed the dummy, concentrating with an intense amount of focus. After a few moments of staring, she swung her flail with tremendous force, sending it towards the dummy. Unfortunately enough, she aimed a little too high. Vi's flail hit the ceiling, obliterating the leather weapon. Eyes widening in mild amusement, Sejuani commented, "You still showed an impressive amount of strength."

"_Guh...!_"

Vi pumped her fists in annoyance before sighing. "Oh well, I'll just try it again later. Maybe after going through a test run through the other games around."

"Maybe," said Mordekaiser, who was _still_ attached to Vi, "if you let go of me, then the results would've been _far_ better."

"_Shutupshutupshutupshutup! You're not helping in any aspect! Not a single~ bit!_"

"_How about you say that __**AFTER**__ YOU LET GO OF ME?!_"

The Piltover Enforcer swung the iron man around like a toy before marching off. The Master of Metal was dragged along the floor as the two left. Sejuani blinked before laughing, amused at their interactions with each other.

"Heh, that was an interesting sight."

* * *

As they left Sejuani's game stall, Mordekaiser had managed to get back on his feet. "So, uh," asked the iron man, "anything here to eat? Like, some food?"

Vi cleared her throat before asking with a question of her own, "Why is it that you're so interested in _eating_ during a carnival?"

Mordekaiser shrugged, violently shaking his head in mock disbelief. "That's like asking why Hecarim has four legs instead of _two_!"

"..._Yeah._ I don't think my question was _that_ stupid."

During their pointless bicker, Mordekaiser found something catch his attention. Ziggs, the Hexplosives Expert, who was also named 'A.D.H.D.' by the Master of Metal himself (_Advanced Dumb Hyperactive Dog_), seemed to be holding an explosive game. The iron man headed towards the stall, which looked more like a smaller version of a circus tent. He found himself in the midst of a crowd cheering for multiple contestants testing their skills simultaneously. Fortunately, there were more spots available other than the 'mini-tournament' that was being held, so the iron man went up to Ziggs himself.

"Dog... I would like to try this game out."

Ziggs turned to face the Master of Metal... before grinning wildly. Man, Mordekaiser absolutely _hated_ it whenever yordles did that. Giving the iron man a couple of colorful, looking bombs, he pointed at a large board full of instructions. Squinting to translate the yordle's horrible handwriting, he managed to decode the rules out.

The bombs had flat surfaces with an arrow facing at one direction; this was the direction where the bomb would go once the fuse was activated. A wall at the far end of the large room would have a red target; if the player hit the target, then they would go to the next level. The difficulty increased as the player progressed, and if they managed to beat the entire game, then they'd be rewarded with a _Ten Cafeteria Free Lunch Passes_ gift, along with a hidden award if the player had at least a single bomb left at the end of the game. There are ten levels and fifteen bombs available for a single run.

Walking towards a small stand with a button on it, Mordekaiser read a label plastered on the trigger.

"_Start to Yeah the Bomb-_... okay, I'll just press this."

The Master of Metal smashed the button with his iron fist. A curtain at the far end of his gaming space revealed a simple level with no obstacles at all. Activating a bomb, all of which were quite small, he placed it on the ground, aiming carefully, before letting go of it. The explosive crawled slowly on the ground... before suddenly zipping up to the target, leaving a small, yet satisfying explosion. Grinning, the iron man felt quite impressed at how someone like Ziggs could come up with this game.

"Well, I'm sure I've played a mini-game like this in that one adventure game before..."

As the levels continued to progress, Mordekaiser found himself looking at the game with a more strategical view. He wondered how to let his bombs pass an annoyingly fast, moving wall to hit a target. He wondered how to let his bombs crawl through a thin line filled with spikes, daring the Master of Metal to waste a bomb in vain. And most importantly, he wondered how to beat the game. When he reached the final level, however, he was greeted with one of the most ridiculously sights that he beheld throughout his gaming life.

"...What. The. _Heck... is __**THIS?!**_"

In front of him was a cluster of small parts of walls moving around the target at a rapid speed. There were also spikes that _moved_ around the map, basically threatening Mordekaiser's chances of winning. Once more, he wondered how he could beat something as deranged, cruel, and brutal like this level... before coming up with a fitting conclusion.

"Screw this. _Activate everything!_"

Mordekaiser kept one bomb while sending out the rest to the hellhole before him.

Surprisingly enough, he actually hit the target this way.

"_Yes! Yes! Ten free lunch passes!_ More hotdogs for me, I guess."

"Well," said Vi, who had appeared next to him with a drink in the middle of his playthrough, "you do have some dumb luck."

Ziggs, who came over to congratulate Mordekaiser, gave the iron man his lunch passes. He then began to take something out of his pocket.

"...Oh yeah," said the Master of Metal, "I forgot about the hidden prize thing."

The Hexplosives Expert... revealed a couple of bombs in his hands. He handed them over to Mordekaiser.

The iron man simply slapped away the bombs.

"I'll... just keep the passes. You keep those."

Ziggs didn't seem to care, as he began to carelessly walk away to spectate the ongoing mini-tournament. Mordekaiser and Vi left the stall, curious as to what else was in store for them. "Oh, man, this carnival is actually pretty crazy! So far, I loved Sejuani and Darius' game."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow, a new light of curiosity entering his eyes. He asked the excited Enforcer, "Darius is hosting a game? What's it called?"

"Dunk-A-Draven. Basically a better version of Whack-A-Mole. I was even allowed to use my fists- it felt _so_ good, y'know?"

"That's it," said the impressed iron man, "I'm giving him some of my lunch passes the next time I see him."

* * *

_One hour later..._

* * *

"Hey, uh... Morde' bud. I've got a question to ask ya'."

"And what might that be... _Enforcer?_"

Mordekaiser and Vi had settled at a cafe to take a quick break. They had lost count of how many meters they had walked in order to search for fun things to enjoy with, and boy, there _were_ some fun goodies for them. Sitting comfortably on the steel chair (which had a soft pad at its seat, mind you), he sipped on the coffee he ordered, curious as to what Vi wanted to ask. The pink-haired girl seemed to squirm in her seat, clearly looking uncomfortable with even thinking about her question.

"Do you think it'd be awkward for me to go out with someone?"

Mordekaiser spit out his coffee outside of an open window. Thankfully, no one was near the crash course.

"Pft.. _what_ did you just ask just now?"

Vi puffed her cheeks before turning her head away from the iron man defiantly. "Shut up."

The Master of Metal had begun to laugh- yes, _laugh_ as if the end of the world had finally come. He did his best to stay on his seat, which only added more to the Enforcer's embarrassment. When it didn't seem like he'd be stopping any sooner, Vi asked, "Okay, is it really _that_ funny for me to ask?"

The lord of undead legions coughed, barely able to contain himself. "W-Wow. Actually, I-I'm actually... _impressed._ Have you finally decided to go with the Sheriff?"

"That," said an unamused Vi, who crackled her knuckles in a threatening matter, "is not. Funny. At. All."

"..."

Mordekaiser nodded. He didn't want to tick her off _too_ much.

"So, uh, about the unlucky individual who you seem to-"

"What's so unlucky about me liking them?"

"None of your business. Anyways, as long as you don't have any regrets in liking them, then... I'm sure it'll all be good."

Raising an eyebrow, Vi stared at Mordekaiser for exactly four seconds before asking, "_Reeeeeeally?_"

The Master of Metal nodded before leaning back. "Yes. In fact... that may be one of the reasons why I never sought out for love-"

Mordekaiser stared out of the open window his coffee went out of. Vi couldn't tell what he was thinking due to the stoic expression he wore right at the moment.

"...because I'll probably regret it. And I know of others that will feel the same way as me."

The Piltover Enforcer took some time to absorb the information before nodding. She had to admit, she was a numbskull when it came to certain topics, but something like this was easy enough for her to understand. Vi then asked with curious intentions, "Would Kha'Zix count as one?"

"Definitely. Because he always loves evolving his crap."

"Yeah, that's no different from Lynched, the Surfing Chemist, trying to 'evolve' his weird potions. And Gangplank 'evolving' his ship's cannons."

While the two began to argue over who liked to 'evolve' the most, two waitresses spied on them. They were hiding behind the reception counter, where only those close enough could see them. One of the 'spies' giggled quietly,

"Hee hee... they called him Singed instead of Lynched- er, I mean... _Lynch_, instead of _Singed__._"

"_Ahri, do you think this is a good idea...?_"

"Sona, Sona! Don't worry! They're a little too far from us to notice. And they seem quite engaged in their conversation."

The two wore red yukatas as their uniforms. While Ahri did not change much of her appearance, Sona had dyed her hair brown. She had put away her etwahl so that it wouldn't be much of a distraction during her work. The Maven of Strings blinked, startled by the Nine-Tailed Fox's eagerness from eavesdropping. However, she couldn't help but be curious too; Mordekaiser was not one to spend time with others that well. If you take out his Shadow Isles friends, he practically had no friends. Sona felt pleasant to see the iron man hanging out with someone other than his undead buddies, but at the same time, an unknown feeling kept tugging at her heart.

Unaware of the eavesdroppers, Vi sighed before mumbling, "Man, my head hurts. This carnival is startin' to get a lil' boring..."

"We're at a _cafe_, for Runeterra's sake," said Mordekaiser, who seemed quite amused at the sudden loss of energy the Enforcer showed, "what'd you expect would happen here? A robbery?"

Suddenly, someone fully armed with Piltover firearms entered the cafe. He had a funny-looking ski mask on. "_Everyone shut up for a sec'! This is a freakin' robbery! Gimme your money-_"

Mordekaiser swung his coffee cup at the robber, instantly knocking him out. Everyone turned to face him with baffled looks. The iron man scratched his head before bowing lightly, 'explaining' the situation,

"Sorry, my pal' got kinda drunk. I'll go take him away."

When everyone surprisingly turned back to do whatever business they were doing, Mordekaiser gave Vi a pleading look before picking the robber up. With as much speed he could put into his legs, the Master of Metal left the criminal at a local police station before returning at the cafe. Sitting down, exhausted, Mordekaiser asked the amused Piltover Enforcer,

"Did I miss anything?"

"Well, you just took out a robber, so... nope."

Slamming his face on the table, Mordekaiser groaned, relieved that no one blamed him for knocking the life out of someone. He assumed that the Institute was used to having weirdos wandering around the place. Vi, who continued to drink her coffee, asked the iron man,

"So, did'ja hear about that news?"

The Master of Metal didn't lift his head up from the table. "What news?"

"About Sona and Garen? Rumors are goin' on about that beefcake liking the pretty lady."

Mordekaiser chuckled before sitting back up. He leaned back on his chair before saying, "I kind of expected something like this to happen. Every man just seems to swoon over her for some strange reason. Might be because of her lovely strings."

Vi expressed mock-disbelief, clearly amused at Mordekaiser's way of thinking about things. "Wow, I totally didn't see that coming."

"Hey, you _know_ her strings could relieve pretty much anyone. I heard that Karthus actually _slept_ because of her music. If only that music could make me sleep every night... then I wouldn't have to worry about yordles causing a loud ruckus."

"Heh, _my_ music could share pain on everyone's faces."

The Master of Metal grinned before leaning towards the table. "Then shall we put that to the test?"

Vi raised an eyebrow, smiling widely. "With this kind of cock-sure expression, aren't you convinced that I can wipe that grin off your face?"

The iron man and the Piltover Enforcer stood up from their seats, fire in their eyes. After a few moments of seeing whether they were really up for some challenges, they burst out of the cafe, simultaneously proclaiming,

"_It is __**on**__, bub!_"

Ahri blinked a couple of times, watching the two set off for a treacherous journey. She then clapped to herself, giddy with what she had just seen.

"Well, this was definitely worth it! And entertaining, too."

"_Umm, forgive me for asking,_" said Sona, who seemed to be confused at what had just happened, "_but what was exactly worth it? I mean, sure, we have witnessed Lord Mordekaiser getting friendly __with someone..._"

The Nine-Tailed Fox made a funny, cat-like expression before shifting herself next to the Maven of Strings. She then whispered to Sona,

"And so are you! He acknowledges you with some respect, so shouldn't that count you as a friend of his? Or maybe you're looking for something more...? Hmm~?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox gave a seducing look (out of playfulness, of course), succeeding in embarrassing the Maven of Strings. Sona shook her head violently, heat entering her cheeks ever so quickly. That day, she learned that she should never stick with Ahri whenever the fox-girl eavesdrops.

But a certain part of the maven made her feel happy. Just a little. "_Well... time to start working again._"

* * *

_An hour later..._

* * *

Mordekaiser shoved his face into the cotton candy he bought. Currently, Vi was playing a shooting game hosted by Tristana. She seemed to enjoy the fact that slamming a button fires a large cannon ball, and the Enforcer didn't stop herself from rapidly mashing the poor trigger. After beating the game with a final shot on the last target, she received a small, golden trophy. Walking up to the iron man with a cocky grin, she asked him, "Will you ever so politely carry this trophy of mine?"

The Master of Metal grumbled, "Do I look like I have room? With all of these forsaken trophies you're winning, I might as well get a tow truck."

"Well, in all honesty, I'm doing way better than you. You only beat a few games, many of which were quite easy to beat."

"_Hey!_ _Simon Says_ broke my winning streak focus!"

* * *

_Mordekaiser stared at the circle in front of him. Zilean, the Chronokeeper, observed him ever so closely. Time felt so slow the longer he stared at the round object. After what felt like centuries of waiting, a red light finally flashed. Then, all of a sudden, many other lights began to flash._

"_Uh... red... blue... red... yelleen... bread... what the fu-_"

"_Time's up," said the aged Chronokeeper, "pay fifty more gold to try again."_

…

"_...Huh?"_

* * *

Vi burst into a fit of laughter, making the Master of Metal regret even mentioning the moment. Just when he was about to retort, he heard the sound of a microphone being turned on. Looking up, he found a small, green, voice-emitting orb announce,

"_Attention! This is Jar-... Xin, get off of my flagpole."_

Many people around Mordekaiser laughed. The iron man didn't, impatiently waiting to hear what the announcement was about.

"_Attention. This is Jarvan Lightguard the Fourth. The end of the carnival is approaching, and I would like to announce that the firework event will soon be initiated. Please check in at the carnival's Open Park for the pleasant event."_

At this, many people began to move at a certain direction. Mordekaiser turned to Vi, who shrugged at him. Motioning for her to follow him, the iron man began to follow the crowd.

"_Also, a quick message for Kha'Zix,"_ said Jarvan, who was about to end the announcement, _"for the last time, you are **NOT** allowed to scare people from the tall grass in the park. Now **quit bothering me about it!**_"

With that, the green orb disappeared.

The Open Park was a wide-open, grassy field that was pretty much like any other park; the only difference being the fact that it had some tall grass around certain areas. Anyone could see the shining stars in the dark night, and everyone currently at the park were waiting for the long-awaited fireworks. Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow, disappointed at the plain-looking field. "Really? This soft dump is a park? What a joke."

"Relax, bub," said Vi, who nudged him in the shoulder, "it's a park, for Piltover's sake. Not another Rift for you to fight in."

"I'd very much appreciate another Rift, actually."

The Master of Metal then heard a familiar voice call out for him,

"_Well, look who's here! Mordekaiser!_"

"Thresh...? Karthus...?! _Hecarim...?! **Yorick...?!** What the heck are you guys doing here?_"

Indeed, his four best, undead friends were right before him. Excluding Thresh, who wore an unfitting business suit, they all had their usual outfits on. Baffled by their presences, Mordekaiser asked,

"Seriously, where were you guys?! I was worried that I wouldn't be able to meet you all... and look at you! In the flesh!... Oh _wait _a minute."

All five of the 'Shadow Isles Dudes' laughed, happy with their little reunion. Yorick said with a tiny smile, "You should have seen Karthus attempting to beat a karaoke game... boy, he was quite terrible."

"_Dang it,_" muttered the Deathsinger, "was that the _first_ thing that needed to come out at a good time like this?"

"Hey," said Hecarim, who was currently eating a hotdog, "at least you actually set a record. In terms of volume, at least."

When the five undead champions began to talk amongst themselves, Vi felt herself stiffen. She didn't mind whenever Mordekaiser was around, but the rest of the Shadow Isles champions made her feel uncomfortable. It might have been due to the fact that she got along with the iron man right off the bat thanks to him taking a liking to her personality. Regardless of being the cocky, punching champion she was, the Piltover Enforcer still _had_ the nervous side of her's.

After sharing a joke about how he nearly impaled a yordle with his hook, Vi caught Thresh's attention. "And this... Enforcer. Did she come with you, Morde'?"

Mordekaiser chuckled before answering the Chain Warden's question, "Indeed. She's arrogant, but thankfully enough, she's a 'little' different compared to the usual 'goody-two-heel' champions around. And how'd _you_ guys manage to attend without girls?"

"Kha'Zix," said Yorick in a cryptic matter. Raising an eyebrow, the Master of Metal asked, "What _about_ Kha'Zix?"

"You see," claimed Karthus, "Kha'Zix was allowed to enter the carnival alone 'because he was Kha'Zix'. Being the clever bunch we are, we decided to use this very reason to skip the entire fuss of searching for partners."

Mordekaiser, who felt horrified at the fact that there _was_ a way to bypass the partner code, grumbled, "I should'a known earlier."

Hecarim grinned before snatching away Karthus' soda. He gulped a huge portion of the drink before returning it to an annoyed Deathsinger. "Well then, if the iron man says he's got a partner, we've got another 'Dude'. Speaking of which, those trophies he's carrying... are those his?"

Surprised at the fact that all of the undeads' attentions were now set on _her_, Vi forced a wide grin before proclaiming, "Nope. Only five out of twenty belongs to him."

"Wow, Morde', you kinda suck. I bet I could beat every game except _Simon Says._"

"Thresh," said a grumpy iron man, "what if I told you that your methods of winning are threatening and cheating?"

"...Shh."

When the five Shadow Isles champions began to laugh once more, Vi found herself chuckling. Yes, _all_ of them were beings to be feared, but so far, spending time with them seemed more casual than she thought. Sticking close to Mordekaiser, who she was the closest to among the five, the Piltover Enforcer decided that going with the flow might be for the best. After all, they were all capable of hurting things even without weapons and magic.

"Huh? Oh, looks like the fireworks event is about to start," said Karthus, who drank the rest of his drink. Thresh jumped onto Hecarim's back, lifting a soda can high up in the air before screaming, "_Giddy'up, you big motha' hubba'!_"

The Chain Warden fell off the instant moment the Shadow of War decided to stand on two legs. Jarvan Lightguard, the Prince of Demacia, had revealed himself from the firework setup, and announced that the event would begin shortly. A countdown was eventually started by Garen, who was currently wearing a sky-blue tuxedo.

"..._Eighteen! Seventeen! Sixteen! Fifteen! Fourteen! Thirteen! Twelve...!_"

Mordekaiser scratched the back of his head, clearly not enjoying the noise coming from his surroundings. Just when he was about to say something to Yorick in hopes of ignoring the noises, he felt something tug at his right hand. Looking down, then looking up again, he found Vi, who smiling widely, holding his hand.

"Pay attention, man."

The Master of Metal absorbed the words she had just said before staring at the skies once more. He didn't mind obeying; after all, it was a simple order. Something that he could do with Mercedes bothering him to do so. The iron man would genuinely listen to the Piltover Enforcer. Just for this time, at least.

"_Five... four... three... two..._"

Mordekaiser squinted, curious as to how the fireworks would even come out. He would definitely be disappointed if it were to be a small-scale firework event. The most important thing about fireworks were the-

"_One...!_"

And then, the fireworks came. At first, a couple firework rockets were sent to create some colorful explosions... and then came the bigger boys. Personally crafted by Ziggs, Heimerdinger, and even Viktor (the Machine Herald), a large rocket was sent to the skies. The instant moment it blew up, dozens of fireworks crackled in the skies. No one took their eyes off the fireworks as the lit the starry skies. Soon enough, more large rockets were sent, which created an enormous cluster of lights.

The final rocket's explosions managed to spell out in neat letters, _League of Legends_, which was greatly applauded for by, if not all, many of the champions.

Mordekaiser was oblivious to the fact that the Piltover Enforcer held his arm close to her.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**This... was an absolute PAIN to make, but boy, it was certainly interesting to make.**

**In case you haven't been informed, the previous chapter had been completely reworked. Some of you seemed quite disappointed with the change, and I understand. In fact, I kinda wanted to stick with it (mostly due to my overall laziness), but there are some personal reasons as to why I've changed it. If you _really_ want to see it again, Private Message me, and I'll see what I could do. For now, I shall continue with the next chapter!**

_**Remember, your feedback and opinions will always help me out in some way, so don't hesitate to point something out.**_

**(Also, yes- the name, 'Carnival Phantasm!' is a direct reference to the anime with the same name.)**


	12. A Tempting Decision!

Mordekaiser sat on a dead horse. Now, before you ask why yet another horse had entered his room, mind you that his room was cursed with the 'spawn syndrome'- at least, that's what he liked to call it. He came up with a theory that his dormitory had some sort of curse cast upon it, causing horses to spawn inside. As much as how bizarre it sounded, it was at least a half-decent explanation behind the random appearances of horses. Now, mind you, _he_ did not kill the horse.

The horse itself just died for no reason.

It wasn't given any time to let out a cry. The horse, which had mysteriously appeared during Mordekaiser's gaming session, fell on its side the instant moment the Master of Metal found it. Not a single sign of life came from the horse afterward.

Drinking some soda on top of the huge corpse, Mordekaiser sighed. He placed the soda on the ground beneath him before getting off of the horse.

The Master of Metal picked the dead horse up before tossing it outside an open window.

He didn't want to rely on Garen, the Might of Demacia this time, so he decided to trust his outstanding intelligence. Mordekaiser scratched the back of his helmet when he heard someone scream in the Institute.

"...Well, it's better than Veiger's ultimate, I guess."

* * *

The Master of Metal comfortably sat on his sofa, playing an adventure video-game. Mashing buttons on his GameMace controller, the iron man guided his character straight towards a boiling pit of lava, killing him instantly.

"Ha ha ha..."

When the 'Game Over' screen came by, he quickly chose 'Try Again', respawning his character. Shortly after the respawn, he jumped into the lava again.

"_Ha ha ha..._"

Once again, he visited the 'Game Over' screen. 'Trying again', Mordekaiser continuously killed his character in the same pit of lava over and over again.

"_**HA HA HA HA HA! GWA HA HA HA HA HA!**_"

It was interesting to note his strange sense of entertainment.

Just when he was about to commit suicide yet again, he heard someone knocking on his door. Pausing the game, he sighed before sitting up from his sofa. He walked up to the door before loudly asking,

"_Who's there?!_"

"N-Newspaper delivery!"

"_I didn't sign up for that fabricated pile of mess! Get out!_"

After a few moments of silence, when no response came from the door, Mordekaiser headed back to his sofa. He then heard someone knock on it yet again, forcing him to turn back.

"_Who's there?!_"

"Deadpool here. So like, do you have any chimichangas-"

"_You're in the wrong franchise! Get out before you obliterate the fourth wall, you imbecile!_"

He stood by the door, waiting to see if anyone else would come up to knock on his door. When someone _did_ beg to differ, Mordekaiser sighed before asking,

"_Who's. There?!_"

"..."

The Master of Metal stared at the door before him. When no response came, he opened the door, revealing Nidalee, the Beastial Huntress. She wore her usual outfit: two fur boots, furry straps of clothing, and a lethal looking spear tied behind her back. The woman had fierce looks, and anyone could tell at a first glance.

Mordekaiser flipped out.

In fact, he literally did flip. Performing a back flip out of pure instinct, he landed on his head, his bones letting out painful cracks. His body eventually met the ground, letting out a loud 'thud' as he fell.

"..."

"..."

The Master of Metal stood up, dusted his armor off, and looked at Nidalee as if nothing happened.

"So, what might bring you here, Beastial Huntress?"

* * *

When Nidalee first met Mordekaiser at a party, she didn't greet him in a pleasant manner; after all, he _was_ risking someone's life at that time. This did not change the fact that _everyone_ feared Nidalee. For some reason, wherever she walked, they would clear a path for her- except for Thresh, for he always found a way to get himself killed by her. Wherever she sat to eat, everyone would move out of the way and sit somewhere else. Whenever she made a mistake in a League match, others would blame themselves for it.

To sum things up, they weren't friends.

Mordekaiser held a wine cup, making a tiny whirlpool out of the soda poured inside of it. He then took a sip out of it. Nidalee, on the other hand, curiously looked around the deceivingly large dormitory. To her, it felt as if she were in the room of a large castle; unlike Demacia's and Noxus' castles, however, this one felt... awkward. There was a box with the large letters making out 'PAUSE' shining out of it, a sofa littered with soda cans, and a surprisingly clean floor. Everything felt out of place from each other, but the Beastial Huntress found it fitting for the already out-of-place Master of Metal.

"So basically, you're being bullied?"

Unfortunately, Mordekaiser didn't seem to fully grasp the Huntress's situation. And to make things worse, Nidalee's vocabulary was very limited- she hid this fact in the League matches through memorized quotes. She also tended to borrow specific phrases said by others for use in normal conversations, often making things awkward.

So Nidalee nodded.

"I see," said Mordekaiser, who put up a thoughtful look, "that's not nice."

Nidalee nodded again.

"Do you think you're nice?"

Nidalee nodded once again.

Mordekaiser placed his hands on his chin, attempting to think hard in order to skip any painful consequences he could face. After what seemed like a millenia, he said to the Huntress,

"I don't think you're nice."

Nidalee bared her teeth at the iron man. Mordekaiser nearly flipped out again. With his plan turning out to be an absolute failure, the Master of Metal tossed a piece of horse meat at the girl. The Beastial Huntress jumped up from her seat on the chair she was using, biting the meat with precision. When she landed, Nidalee had already finished feasting upon the meat.

"...Yep, you're definitely not nice."

The Huntress sighed before she asked, "How do I become nice?"

Mordekaiser scratched his head before shrugging. "I dunno. Surprise me."

And then a familiar voice from Shadow Isles came from the entrance,

"Hey Morde', what's going o- _**HOLY SH#&, IT'S NIDALEE! CALL THE COPS!**_"

Nidalee tossed the bone of the horse meat that was given to her at Thresh, the Chain Warden. The Warden was instantly knocked out by the sleek bone. His body proceeded to fly through an open window. Mordekaiser sighed before asking the Beastial Huntress,

"So... uh, let's think this through. You're failing pretty hard at making friends, so let me teach you _how_ to make some. How about that?"

"...Ya."

* * *

Mordekaiser brought Nidalee into a training field designed for champions. They liked to call it the 'Training Grounds' due to its similarities with the 'Proving Grounds' in terms of structure. It wasn't as detailed and flashy like the Proving Grounds, as its surroundings only consisted of trees, grass, and plants. Due to the far distance between the Training Grounds and the Institute of War, champions were free to practice as they would for a League of Legends battle.

The magic within the Grounds prevented actual deaths from occurring. And to live up to its name, there were multiple, single-lane battlefields built closely together in the Training Grounds. Some had minion holograms simulating an actual Proving Grounds match, while the rest were completely empty.

The Master of Metal paced around a purple turret, doing his best in ignoring the annoying sunlight. If he wanted to avoid a painful death, then he would have to solve the Beastial Huntress' problem with society. Sure, he would revive if he _did_ die, but then again, he didn't want to take any chances if it involved _Nidalee_ in it.

"Guh, why does everything involving you turn out to be painful in many ways...?"

Nidalee sat in front of the turret Mordekaiser was nearby. She made a thoughtful look before honestly replying, "No idea."

Mordekaiser sighed.

He was the Master of Metal, once a feared lord of Shadow Isles. Everyone feared his very existence before he joined the League of Legends, which he had only done so to stick close to his colleagues. Even after joining the League, people made sure not to infuriate him, as his mysterious background caused people make assumptions of his ever-increasing power.

And here he was now, helping some wild, dumb animal girl, who had a reputation _worse_ than his current one. Sure, his fame had fell with a mighty drop thanks to his isolation, but it was still a surprise to find someone surpass his record.

"Times sure have changed," muttered the iron man.

Meanwhile, Nidalee stared at Mordekaiser's mace, which had been placed on the floor with great care. The shiny head of the weapon piqued her interest. After she was done observing the mace, she crawled towards it. She then rolled the spiky weapon towards her. Nidalee took note of how it seemed to be cleaner than Mordekaiser's armor.

_Just how much does he love this thing?_

As Mordekaiser mindlessly walked around the turret, Nidalee began to play around with the mace. She lightly punched it, slightly surprised at how hard it was. The Huntress then took out her spear before jabbing it at the mace, which led to her weapon snapping into two pieces. Repeating the same method over and over again, Nidalee ended up with sixty-four pieces of one spear, all from attempting to somehow leave a dent on Mordekaiser's weapon.

Frustrated, yet fascinated, the Beastial Huntress was about to strike the weapon with her sixty-fourth piece when she found something eye-catching. Squinting to make sure she was seeing things properly, the Huntress noticed that there was a small button underneath the head of the mace. Lying down on her side, she took a closer look. Apparently, some type of steel cover had fallen off of it, which had allowed her to find it. Staring at the mysterious button, Nidalee wondered what she should do.

Without any hesitation, she smashed the button with a mighty jab of her thumb.

Suddenly, the mace began to shake violently. It made a mechanical _'whirring'_ noise that caught Mordekaiser's attention. Turning to face his weapon, his jaw nearly fell off of his skull.

"_You **NUMBSKULL!** What're you doing with my mace?!_"

The Master of Metal stormed over to the Beastial Huntress, his previous fear of her now completely gone. On instinct, Nidalee bared her fangs, for she was confused and scared out of her life. The iron man lunged towards the Huntress, but much to his annoyance, she jumped out of the way skillfully. He tripped, only to land on his feet after rolling over. Mordekaiser then began to charge in once more. Eyes focused on the Beastial Huntress, he attempted to predict where she would jump.

_Judging by how she's trying to deceive me..._

Nidalee had her body turned to her left, and knowing the cougar's habit of deceiving others with her jumps, he knew where she'd go.

_Left...!_

Indeed, Nidalee faked a dodge to the right before heading to her left. She was caught in the air by the Master of Metal without a chance to escape. The two rolled on the ground, with the Huntress lashing out at the iron man. After struggling in his grip, Nidalee eventually settled down. She was frightened, and she hoped that the iron man didn't have any intentions of killing her.

Fortunately enough, Mordekaiser let go of the tanned lady. Taking deep breathes, the iron man pointed at particularly nothing before he said,

"And this... is why... you don't have... any friends."

Nidalee nodded. Just when the Master of Metal thought everything had settled down, he took note of the constant whirring behind them. Eyes widening, the iron man rolled over to see what was the source of the noise.

His mace had grown powerful limbs of steel. It was encased in some sort of full-body armor with a severed waist. There were three slim spikes sticking out of the front of the torso armor, three for each shoulder piece, and three for his helmet. White, crackling energy could be seen between the separated torso and legs. The being's helmet looked like a sleeker version of Mordekaiser's, albeit with a darker eye color.

Shaking violently, the unidentified newcomer wildly flailed its arms before saying with a deep, mechanical voice,

"_Alien lifeform. Must destroy._"

…

Mordekaiser muttered under his breath,

"Well, this escalated quickly."

As the robot began to head towards the two, the iron man complained as he got up,

"Great, you just _had_ to press that button! I was working on _Morgenstern_ so that he'd help me whenever Mercedes told me to do something... and now I'm _fighting_ Morgenstern. Do you have any idea on what you did?!"

Nidalee shook her head, bluntly stating, "That's a stupid name." Mordekaiser rolled his eyes before summoning his mace-

"...oh wait a minute."

When it- no, _'he'_ got close enough, _Morgenstern_ swung a mighty fist at Nidalee. However, Mordekaiser was faster to act than his creation. With a quick swipe, he snatched away the Huntress before tossing her away to a nearby turret. Nidalee had managed to safely land on her feet, who had turned to look for the iron man. The Master of Metal chuckled, turning to face his creation.

Much to his chagrin, Morgenstern was quite fast.

The instant moment he found the second iron man, Mordekaiser felt his helmet collide with a single fist. The Master of Metal held his ground. Preventing himself from falling, he landed an uppercut on Morgenstern, who literally flew to the skies. Due to his heavy weight, however, the morning star had returned to the ground quickly. Morgenstern's impact created a crater. The crater created large, rocky walls to smash out of the ground, which blocked Mordekaiser's escape route. Raising an eyebrow, the iron man told his creation,

"Morge. _Sit._"

Morgenstern begged to differ.

"_Alien lifeform. Must destroy. Ja. Ja. Ja. I es numero uno in all nations. Behold._"

When the weapon charged at Mordekaiser once more, the Master of Metal cracked his knuckles. At point-blank range, the iron man swung his fist at his creation. His hand tore through Morgenstern's chest, destroying the main core in the process. The Morning Star flailed its arms wildly before abruptly shutting itself down.

"..._well, there goes my __**billion gold pieces!**_"

* * *

After turning his weapon back to its original form, Mordekaiser, once again, stood in front of a turret. He had begun to lecture the Beastial Huntress on how to make friends. The Huntress noticed that while he was a beast of his own kind, the Master of Metal acted quite casually around her. She didn't know what 'casual' exactly meant, but she could tell that unlike the other champions, he had gotten a little used to her. Ironically, it was anger that seemed to calm him down.

"So, uh, say if someone bumped into you. What would you do?"

Nidalee put up a thoughtful look before confidently answering,

"Bump them back."

Mordekaiser whacked her head with a paper fan that came out of nowhere.

"You excuse them, imbecile."

"I do?"

"Yes," said the iron man, "you excuse them, not retaliate. That is, if you _really_ want friends."

Nidalee flinched. Was he taunting her? She felt that the iron man actually liked the fact that he hit her whenever she got something incorrect. The Huntress understood his mood, as she had just destroyed the mechanical creation built inside his mace. Cracking her neck, she continued to hear the Master of Metal out.

"Don't take this to account in the Summoner's Rift, though. It'd be horrible to find a champion excusing his or her enemy for no reason..."

When the Huntress nodded, Mordekaiser continued,

"Now, let me tell you some people you could try getting along with first. Hmm, what was her name... ah! Sona Buvelle, the Maven of Strings. She has some beautiful strings that plays beautiful music for the beautiful me. The maven seems to have a calm and caring personality, so she's a good bet to play on."

The Master of Metal took out a small notebook that had a pen shoved between two empty pages. He then handed it to the feline, who reluctantly took it. After flipping the cover over, she plucked the pen out before writing the advice Mordekaiser had given to her.

"By the way, that notebook has the awesome lessons I just taught you at the last four pages. Just so that you won't come up to pick a fight with me."

Nidalee finished scribbling her words out before checking the mentioned pages. Indeed, Mordekaiser's teachings were written with the creepiest handwriting she had ever seen in her life.

"Next up would be... Garen, The Beefcake of Demacia. Utilizing his nobility and the things I have taught you might create a friendship between you two. Sure, Demacia wanted your forests, but I heard he's one of the few 'nature-lovers' back there, so you should try giving him a chance. Ahri is also a good choice because of her lack of hostility... though I need to warn her about that very fact..."

As the Huntress continued to scribble out messy words on her new notebook, Mordekaiser concluded,

"And finally, I find Vi to be a viable choice. I still think she has the intelligence of an uneducated yordle, but maybe you'd find something different within her."

Nidalee nodded once she had finished taking notes. Closing the book with a quiet _'fwoop'_, the Huntress placed the informative object in a small pouch she had with her. Mordekaiser dusted his hands, happy that he made it out alive.

"That concludes my lesson of awesomeness. You are welcome for your thanks."

Turning to leave the Training Grounds, Mordekaiser chuckled.

_I did it! I didn't die, and I wasn't humiliated either! I'm so awesome! Yeah! Ha ha ha!_

The Master of Metal felt extremely optimistic about himself. After all, he had just interacted with the (currently) most feared female champion and made it out with his unlife intact. The iron man felt accomplished due to the deed he had done for such a beast. And for that, he planned on celebrating by playing _Pentalkill Legends_ for the rest of the day.

Just when he arrived near the exit, however, he felt something tug at his armor fiercely. Nearly tripping due to the abrupt action, Mordekaiser barely prevented himself from falling. He turned once more to find Nidalee, who wore an unreadable expression.

"...What is it, Huntress? Do you want a recap of the lesson? Because the entire thing is in your notebook now."

The tanned feline shook her head slowly. After staring at the ground for a long period of time, she looked up to the iron man.

"What... if I fail?"

…

…

_...Oh crap, I haven't thought about that part._

Mordekaiser stiffened. He had no thoughts about something witty like _failure_, but it _was_ possible. After all, everyone learns through their failures. However, Nidalee had failed so much that she was practically tired of the negative attention she was receiving. And it didn't seem like she enjoyed all of that.

But the thing that the Huntress didn't know about was that Mordekaiser felt jealous- jealous of the attention she received. Long ago, he would be the center of attention. He loved it- he lived off of pain, but fear satisfied him as well. To find that less people would fear the Master of Metal felt foreign to him. He did not want to show it to Nidalee, however, because of his own pride.

And then a dark thought snapped inside Mordekaiser's head.

_How about I kill her instead?_

Mordekaiser felt cold. He _was_ curious; what would happen if he killed Nidalee, who was feared among even the strong?

Now that this thought came to surface, he wondered. If he disregarded her concern and killed her, would he get back on track to earning his infamy and glory again? Or perhaps it would open up more chances to earning something greater? What if that single action would make him become a king once more? Many questions raced through the iron man's head, but there was one in particular that made him contemplate deeply.

Would he return to being _Mordekaiser_ again?

His heart had softened by a great amount as time passed. Before his isolation, he was _the_ cold-blooded, the one with _the_ steel heart, the one who _showed_ what power allowed one to do. He was the one who showed little to _no_ mercy, and he cared _little_ about life. The one to be feared more than Cho'Gath, the one to be known more than any famous figure in Runeterra. He was Mordekaiser, the dark horror within the League of Legends.

And now he had become the video-gaming, giant tin can that practically wasted his days with pointless hobbies. Even after isolation, he was known as someone to be feared, but not by all. Many summoners did not know of his presence, and all he did now other than fighting was carrying out tasks given by Mercedes. He was a forgotten tyrant that dwelled within the Institute.

But when Mordekaiser looked deeply into Nidalee's eyes, he saw _fear_ within her. A glimmer of hope for him to become who he once was- the menace that could never be ignored. It was just a glimmer, but for the iron man, it was a gift set on a silver platter. If he took the gift, then he would be able to forget about Mercedes' painstaking tasks. And if he took the path where his gift lay, he could even become greater than who he once was. Within her eyes, he found motivation to fulfill a forgotten wish. The motivation to destroy the Institute- a dream he treasured so much in his past, and claim all of Runeterra _his_. And if he really did take Runeterra, then no one would be able to stop him, for his power was even greater when he fought swarms of enemies.

_Hecarim._

But what about his friends? What about Hecarim, who actually enjoyed the Institute's presence? What about Thresh, who seemed to have fun with others equal in power? What about Karthus, who was now free to use his undead powers in the League? What about Yorick, who finally found a place where he could peacefully dig graves without being misunderstood as a hostile beast? What about everyone? What about them? Would they turn back to their homes so easily without resistance?

_Sona._

What would become of the Maven of Strings, who loved peace and serenity? She would defy his rule and eventually get herself killed. Her talents and intentions were not things that Mordekaiser would want to erase from existence, but if he went down the glorious, motivational path that he always planned on going through, they would die along with the maven herself.

_Garen._

He would become one of the first to fall in an inevitable battle between Shadow Isles and Demacia, for he lived with honor. Mordekaiser had to admit, Garen was a respectable man despite his flaws, and killing him would only make him feel complicated.

_Vi._

The Piltover Enforcer would obviously die for the others' sakes. She was cocky, headstrong, and quite oblivious to many important things, but she wouldn't hesitate to use her fists to protect her treasured ones. It would pain Mordekaiser to kill someone he once shared a dormitory with.

_Mercedes._

And then there was Mercedes, the _first_ of who needed to get out of Mordekaiser's way should he ever destroy the Institute. In return for conquering all of Runeterra, Mercedes' blood would need to taint Mordekaiser's mace to ensure that no one would stop him.

And that thought alone decided the iron man's decision in his new-found temptation.

"..."

Mordekaiser's hand reached out for Nidalee, which confused the Huntress. There was some sort of force holding him back from doing something, but she couldn't tell what it was. Fear piling up within her, the feline attempted to take her spear out, only to find that it missing because of its destruction earlier. She didn't have the time to transform into a cougar either. With desperation clear in her actions, Nidalee raised her hands in defense, ready to retaliate whatever the iron man planned on doing to her.

He grabbed her head with his massive hand. There was little effort given by the grapple, so there wasn't enough force to crush her instantly. Seething in anger and confusion, the Beastial Huntress clawed at his hand to no avail.

And then he pet her head.

Yes, the Master of Metal rubbed the Huntress' head. Becoming more confused than before, Nidalee looked up at the iron man with round eyes. His glowing eyes had disappeared, leaving a gaping emptiness within his helmet- he had closed his eyes, but for what reason? Mordekaiser rarely shut his only source of vision off. The feline closely watched the iron man as her clawing stopped.

And he continued to pet her head. For he wanted to calm himself down. He had nearly lost control of himself right where he was standing due to a simple question. Things would've escalated had he not held back from killing her in the Training Grounds. And the iron man found little satisfaction in the idea of killing someone that listened to his arrogant lectures.

* * *

_I'm no scum because I don't need to be one._

Before he joined the League of Legends, he brought fear upon the slums of Noxus simply by his presence. A time where he truly despised humans, and also a time where he knew nothing of them. He had forgotten much of _himself_ at that point, but he did enjoy how everyone thought _he_ was the cause of the slums' common spread of disease. And so he decided to live up to that name by returning to Shadow Isles and brag about it among his soldiers.

But no one was there for him. His soldiers had disappeared- some dead, others missing. In pure rage, he searched for the origin of their demise. Some stood in his path, where he was forced to fight back. Even in _libraries_, there were some who blocked his painful path. He eventually found out that his soldiers were slain one-by-one by warriors known as _Purifiers_. While Mordekaiser had been searching for information on Noxus' inhabitants, his fighters were destroyed.

_I am the Master of Metal._

Finally satisfied with his research, he went back to Shadow Isles before meeting up with Thresh, the Chain Warden. At that time, they were simply strangers to each other, but the two found themselves becoming friends instantly. A few days was all it took for Mordekaiser to hear that Thresh had a grudge against Purifiers. Oblivious to the eventual outcome, he made a deal with the Warden by getting rid of nearly all of the Purifiers on the surface of Runeterra. The Master of Metal regretted this deed a few months after being paired with Mercedes, his former contract-summoner.

Mercedes taught him many things, including how revenge is pointless. 'A quest for revenge only brings life to another quest for revenge until everyone dies. ' That was what the summoner taught him, and one of the most useful, for the iron man avoided many consequences thanks to this.

There was still, of course, his quest of revenge on the Institute. It had taken most of his glory, power, and honor away. But he would no go back to becoming the king he once was if he needed to lose everything he had now. He would not fall short to a little bit of temptation. The iron man felt slightly shameful for nearly going out of control due to a simple question made by the Huntress.

_I am Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal._

* * *

Nidalee now felt her restlessness dispersing. The iron man continued to pet her head, but it didn't seem as if he did it out of evil intentions. There was still a hint of nervousness within her eyes, though. Looking back up from the ground for the twelfth time, she noticed that the iron man's eyes had reappeared. He was looking at her now.

"I... reassure you," said Mordekaiser, "that won't be happening."

The Huntress blinked. She then asked curiously, "How... uh... you know?"

The Master of Metal chuckled. He stopped petting her head before letting his hand fall by his side.

"You could consider me to be your colleague now."

Nidalee didn't seem to understand what he meant. Mordekaiser sighed before he asked, "Wanna know what colleague means?" When she nodded, the iron man scratched the back of his head. "Well, I absolutely despise the word when it's applied to me, but... hmm, I guess a colleague is like a friend. I _guessed,_ okay? I _**guessed.**_"

The Huntress tilted her head, flabbergasted. After observing the surprised feline's reaction, the Master of Metal flicked her forehead before turning to leave the Training Grounds. As he left the Grounds, he called out to the Huntress,

"Report your results to me when you're done! Via email, letter, or even a freakin' bird messenger... don't care. Consider this as homework- other than shoving grass in your mouth. I don't want Mercedes bothering me in my sleep about you."

With a wave of his right hand, he vanished, leaving Nidalee to stare at particularly nothing.

* * *

_A day later..._

* * *

Mordekaiser sat on his sofa, playing some video games like usual. He was currently playing a first-person shooter in a multiplayer server. As he fired away bullets at ninja-like professional players, he yawned loudly. Now that he had overcame temptation for good, he needed something to cool away the stress within him, so he decided that trolling others was a good idea. However, it turned out that the server he joined was full of 'professionals' that died way too much to be considered 'pro'.

After the Master of Metal intentionally killed himself with a grenade, he yawned loudly.

And so did Mercedes, who had magically appeared next to Mordekaiser.

"_Gah!_ Mercedes? What're you doing here?!"

The summoner chuckled before picking up a controller. "I've been busy with paperwork recently. Now that I finished the mandatory work for the year, I'm pretty much free for twelve months. Your doors are always open... oh yeah, can I join?"

"Yes," said Mordekaiser with uncertainty in his voice, "you may join. But isn't there a boatload of paperwork for High Summoners like you? I mean, you're rare for your kind _and_ you complete your duties quite efficiently, so I'd doubt the Institute would let you off the hook easily when it comes to work."

"Heh heh, let's just say that my unnecessarily high income helped me complete the tasks."

Mordekaiser laughed. Of course, why would Mercedes do pointless paperwork all year when he could spend time with the awesome iron man? The two began to play the shooter together.

"Uhh, Morde'," said Mercedes with a look of disappointment, "what's up with this server?"

"...What do you mean, Mercedes?"

"This server is titled 'Pros Only', but it's full of people who played five to ten games..."

The Master of Metal checked the information tab in Mercedes' screen. Indeed, all of the players played little to no games.

"_No wonder!_ Let's change servers," proclaimed the iron man. Mercedes smiled before making the two leave the server. The man had aged, but he still enjoyed spending time like a youthful man. Something that Mordekaiser enjoyed about the summoner.

While the man browsed through servers, the two heard something ring loudly. Sighing, Mercedes took out a small, white orb before pressing it. Sitting back comfortably on the sofa, he answered the 'phone',

"Hello, this is Mercedes- High Summoner of the Institute, how may I be of your service?"

Mordekaiser stared at the summoner, who started to laugh heartily.

"Ah, the _beach?_ That's just an excuse for the champs to hit on their girls."

The Master of Metal froze. Beach? _What_ beach? Who was even calling Mercedes?

"Well, judging by how much the champions wanted to have their own vacation, the High Council decided to fulfill their wish. The High Summoners plan on making all summoners undergo a public training session. I, on the other hand, will follow the champions."

Mordekaiser opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly silenced by a single glare.

"...Yeah? Mmm... uh, well, y'know, we all know that I'm just going to avoid the entire session! Alright, I guess I'll be seeing you later, Thad! Yeah, yeah! Yeah! ...Yeah! See ya!"

When the orb's color turned green, Mercedes put it away, mumbling, "Fool won't hang up easily..."

"Mercedes," asked an extremely curious iron man, "what is it? What is this _beach_ you were talking about?"

"Oh? You didn't know?"

"Know _what?_"

"An hour from now, you're going to the beach, Mordekaiser," said an extremely carefree Mercedes. He added in as he took out a poisoned burrito, "Whether you like it or not."

Mordekaiser screamed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**First off, I'd like to apologize for my long absence. I moved into America, and all the stuff I had to bring just extended my offline time. Sorry if you have been waiting for so long! This was kinda rushed, so I also apologize for that (this chapter was supposed to be way bigger, too).**

**This chapter focused more on Mordekaiser to explain how he felt about the Institute and how he feels now after peculiar events. I felt that there needed to be something a _little_ more dramatic involving the iron man, so here it is. Looking at Mordekaiser from a more serious perspective was actually pretty fun to write. This also kind of shows how something so small could turn into a complete battle in your mind. :P**

**The next chapter won't exactly be as serious, though. I mean, it's the freaking beach for crying out loud...**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter- "B.E.A.C.H.!"**


	13. BEACH

Mordekaiser sat in the lounge of the cruiser ship. All of the champions were going to the island that had what was apparently a five-star beach, so the ship that would send them to the island was incredibly large. Like any cruiser ship, there were gymnasiums, a playing area, a swimming pool, and several other entertaining additions. It was a good ship, and Mordekaiser had to admit it. He found himself liking the interior structures, which was mostly made of pure, stainless steel. And what was even better was the fact that the drinks were free.

The only gripe he had about this ship was the fact that other champions were with him. He wanted to go to the beach with any method that didn't involve going with the others, but Mercedes could only do so much for him. Thresh, Karthus, and Yorick were the _only_ champions who managed to escape the trip by jumping out of the ship earlier that day. Mordekaiser would've jump with them if it wasn't for his former contract-summoner to stand right next to him. He didn't want rumors spreading about the great Shadow Isles fighter falling short against a poisoned burrito. Those burritos were deadlier than they looked.

He sighed deeply, bored out of his mind. The quiet music that played in the background didn't help either. Mordekaiser could hear Lulu, the Fae Sorceress, giggling along with Lux Crownguard about some weird joke. It wasn't that he hated the yordle- she was incredibly useful in the Fields of Justice, and it felt great whenever she turned Mordekaiser into a hulking, metal giant. And her intentions weren't all that bad either. But if there was one thing that he didn't like about her...

Well, he just found her to be _extremely_ odd. Odd to the point where it would drive him nuts.

Then again, he could say the same about Lux, but the Lady of Luminosity was literally bright. He didn't like intense light.

As he drank from the soda can he had brought with him, he heard light footsteps approach him. The iron man opened one eye to lazily check who had come.

Sona smiled when the Master of Metal noticed her. She had brought her ethwahl with her, and unlike the other champions, she was wearing her usual attire. "_Greetings, Lord Mordekaiser._"

"Well, well," said Mordekaiser with a hint of relief, "if it isn't the Maven of Strings! I am actually somewhat glad to meet you."

The lady softly sat on an armchair that faced the iron man. "_Everyone seems to be having fun,_" said the maven through her telepathy.

Mordekaiser put the soda can on a small, round, glass table in front of him. "Indeed. They're so-"

"_I... like it._"

"...Excuse me?"

Sona set her ethwahl on her lap with care before looking back up. With a peaceful expression, she said to the iron man, "_I like that they're having fun. Do you?_"

The Master of Metal stared at the Maven of Strings, utterly baffled.

_Excuse me, woman? You like that they're having fun? Those fools find fun in killing each other, and you find fun in that?_

Sona blinked, noticing Mordekaiser's sudden silence. She then frowned ever-so-slightly, looking down at her ethwahl. "_You don't seem to be enjoying yourself..._"

The Shadow Isles denizen woke up from his train of thoughts. When he realized that he just killed the mood in a mere second, he sat up straighter.

"H-Hmm? Actually, no. Uh, I'm totally enjoying myself! Look! This soda can is so much fun!"

Mordekaiser snatched the can, which was peacefully resting on the glass table, before drinking everything inside it. He then tossed it at a trash bin, scoring a point.

"See? I just played score a hoop! So much..."

The iron man contemplated on what he should say next. Unfortunately, he found nothing in his mind. Sighing in disappointment, he confessed to the maven, "Okay, this is boring. Three of my best friends ditched me and Hecarim, who decided to shut himself in the restroom. There really isn't anything to do without those four."

Sona nodded. Apparently, Mordekaiser wasn't much of a social bee unless his friends were with him. The maven hovered her hands over her ethwahl, deep in thought.

"...What're you doing?"

And to make the iron man's day better, Sona suddenly began to play music. Mordekaiser stared at the maven plucking the strings of her instrument. As she continued to play, the iron man shifted on his armchair, making himself feel comfortable.

If there was one thing better than everything in the lounge, it was the maven's music. Her ethwahl seemed to do a much better job at letting Mordekaiser relax than the boring background noise. And for that, he was a little grateful for her efforts. Just a little.

"Hmph... I suppose this is better than working out with that Crownguard."

As the Master of Metal closed his eyes, Sona stifled a giggle.

* * *

The small island the champions were sent to was private property that belonged to the Institute. Thanks to the consultancy of Mercedes and several other High Summoners, the champions were all allowed to have a brief vacation. Like the Institute, there was a building designed specifically for the champions to rest in. Right outside of the building was the adored beach that everyone had always wanted.

Except for Mordekaiser.

"_**Yeah! It's the beach!**_" The many champions yelled joyfully as they left the cruiser ship. Excited, the bumbling crowd stormed over to the beach. Everyone had their beach clothes on at this point, for they didn't want to be left behind. Jarvan could be seen in the front, summoning a thousand flags from the skies and using his spear to stay at the lead with a cheap method. Thankfully, he remembered to cover the weapon's head with a safety gadget.

"Dibs on the golden parasol," shouted the prince as he flawlessly executed chains of hook shots, "cause it matches well with my golden shorts!"

Mordekaiser, on the other hand, stood in front of the exit of the cruiser, carrying a parasol made of steel with him. He did not change his outfit, though he had let his long hair freely flow behind his back. The iron man didn't plan on roasting his head with all of that hair inside his helmet, so he decided that it was for the better. Turning to face Hecarim, who did not alter his appearance at all, he asked the Shadow of War,

"Do you have _any_ idea on what we could do here?"

The Horseman shrugged, for he really had no idea on what the two could do on a beach. After contemplating with some ample time, he pointed his finger up, finally getting an idea like how a nerd would. "How about we search for mermaids?!"

"Go back to Hasbro, you freaky horse."

"Hey," retorted the Shadow of War, "it's not as bad as when Thresh insisted on visiting Mundo's hospital."

Mordekaiser's face scrunched up in confusion. "Didn't that place shut down after Shen began medical business?"

"Exactly."

The two began to head for the beach. It wasn't that far off from the harbor, which had quite a few workers compared to the first harbor the champions had to enter. As they walked, Mordekaiser suddenly summoned his mace. Not a mace with safety functions, but a clone of his original, spiky mace. Hecarim raised an eyebrow at this. "What're you gonna do with _that_, man?"

"Hold on, I just want to try something out."

Mordekaiser set his parasol down, prompting Hecarim to stop trotting. With a mighty swing, the iron man struck the sandy ground with his morning star, causing a small plate to fly off. The Shadow of War bent over to pick it up. As the Horseman observed the object, Mordekaiser looked for where the plate fell off of. When he found a small gap underneath the head of his mace, he pressed the hidden button. The loud, mechanical noise assured Mordekaiser that whatever he wanted to do was working.

"Yo Morde', what's this... and what's that?"

The Master of Metal tossed his mace on the sandy ground, walking away from it. He then tapped the small plate Hecarim was holding, answering the Horseman's question, "This... covered _that._"

And then it happened. The head of Mordekaiser's mace began to disassemble itself, revealing a large amount of gadgets inside it. As it morphed, pieces of the morning star mixed and matched themselves with other pieces, forming what appeared to be limbs. The limbs eventually began to connect themselves with what was apparently the torso.

"Mordekaiser... is that...?"

"Yes it is, Hecarim. The first one was destroyed by the ever-so-stupid Beastial Huntress, but luckily enough, I fixed it up with the help of Viktor. That man is more of a genius than Singed; I don't know why he is overshadowed by the other 'geniuses' around."

As the transformation began to near its end, Hecarim's jaw slammed itself on the ground. Literally. Mordekaiser's mace had turned into a...

"_**AUTOBOT! ROLL OUT-**_"

Mordekaiser smacked the back of Hecarim's head.

"_Ow!_ What was that for?!"

"I don't know what an 'autobot' is, but this is surely not one of them. Hecarim, this is 'Morgenstern the Second'."

The Shadow of War analyzed the steel robot. It looked incredibly similar with Mordekaiser, but with less bulkiness. The eyes glowed a crimson red, and the helmet spikes were identical with the Master of Metal. Hecarim whistled, impressed at the accuracy of the robot's appearance.

"This is sweet, dude!"

"I know, right?"

"But its name is so stupid."

Mordekaiser glared at Hecarim, eyes glowing with fury. "_Say what?_"

The Horseman chuckled, raising his hands in mock defense, before he bluntly repeated, "It has a stupid name. Even 'doofus' sounds more interesting than that."

"_Then what should I name him?! 'Morning'?!_"

"Percy."

"So homo."

"Nemesis."

"It ain't a girl."

"Hmm," mumbled the Shadow of War, deep in thought. "How about we name him...

...

..._Morgenstern?_"

"_Perfect! _I knew you were better than you looked, Hec'!"

"Ha ha ha, I'm a genius, ain't I?"

"Right you are," exclaimed Mordekaiser. The two laughed loudly, unaware of the fact that they just did something stupid. The Master of Metal went up to Morgenstern before deactivating it, turning it back to a normal mace. "I'll be using this bud' when Mercedes wants me to do something. That way, I'll have even _more_ time to do stuff."

"Uhh, Morde'," said Hecarim as he pointed something in front of him, "I think we're nearly there. Just a few more steps, man."

The Master of Metal rolled his eyes, sending his mace into nothingness, before asking, "You mean the beach? Man, I'm gonna hate this day. What're you gonna do?"

"Well, I'm planning on seeing what's underwater," said the Shadow of War with a thoughtful look. He cracked his knuckles before grinning. "I'll tell you whether it's a good sight or not. And see whether there's any mermaids or not."

"Heh, you do that."

And with that, the Horseman galloped, not turning back. Mordekaiser picked his parasol up before heading to the beach.

Before him was a paradise.

The wide beach was filled with excited champions with different sorts of activities going on. Garen was having a swimming contest with Darius, who seemed to be godly at moving in water. Kha'Zix was evolving his lungs. An entire group of female champions were playing volleyball- they even had an all-male audience that drooled over them. Even Rammus seemed to be having fun by floating on the water. Everyone was busy doing something, and those who weren't active stayed underneath large parasols, discussing things with other champions.

Mordekaiser, on the other hand, felt his eyes twitch erratically. "These fools are better off staying here than at the Institute." With a deep sigh, the iron man proceeded to find a spot for his parasol. A few minutes later, he set up everything for his own comfort.

The iron man sat underneath the large, steel parasol he had brought with him. He had created another sofa with his power of controlling metal, along with a portable fan. The iron man also bought an ice box from the 'Break' with great haste before they went out of sale. As much as how he wanted to enter the temporary 'Break', the building was littered with champions right at the moment. Not that there _weren't_ champions littered outside at the beach. There were certain areas of the buildings that only opened at night, so he would have to wait until then.

Mordekaiser had no business with water, starfish, and volleyballs. He was made of _steel_ for crying out loud! Why bring an iron man near water? Making his upper body burn while letting the water slow his movements down sounded like a stupid idea. The Master of Metal had no clue as to why he'd be forced to have a vacation he didn't want. He wanted to play some good ol' games with Mercedes at his dormitory, not spectate the boring games everyone else was playing.

The beach was actually a pretty good place. The sand had little to no trash in them, the water was fresh and crystal clear, and the sunny weather made it actually _feel_ like a beach. Even the trees nearby the Break building looked impressive. However, if the iron man wanted to truly enjoy these surroundings, he'd have to be either alone or with someone he was comfortable with.

He sighed before drinking from his soda can. Boy, he hated group trips.

Just when he was about to throw his can into the sand, he noticed someone walking towards him. Raising an eyebrow, he took note of the Piltover Enforcer, who had a completely different attire, gasping for breath.

"So, have you finally lost your energy?"

Vi wore a yellow bikini set that fit her perfectly. Mordekaiser hadn't realize this when he had first met her, but the Enforcer had extremely well-toned muscles. She had the ideal body of someone who was capable of lifting gloves of insane weight. Exhausted after an extreme match of volleyball, Vi managed to reply, "Yeah. I- oh man, I'm so freaking tired. Move over, will you?"

The Master of Metal sighed before sitting up. Vi did not hesitate to sit on the steel sofa, which was cold thanks to the solar-powered fan cooling it. The parasol helped relieve her exhaustion.

"Ahh... that's the stuff. Where'd you buy all of this?"

Mordekaiser sipped his soda before pointing at the fan. "Nothing. Everything is my work. Except for the ice box. That's for my sodas."

"Well," said the tired Enforcer, who managed to find fresh soda can that wasn't opened yet, "that's not much of a surprise."

The Master of Metal glanced at Vi. She took deep breaths, smiling due to the fun she was having.

"So who did you face?"

"...Huh?"

Vi looked next to her, curious as to what Mordekaiser talked about.

"You played volleyball, right? Who did you face?"

"Oh," said the Enforcer as she sat up straighter, "well, I played against Riven. Lost it, though. She's way too serious about this stuff..."

The Master of Metal chuckled. "You _lost?_ That's not much of a surprise, considering your inability to make decisions."

"Hey!"

Vi pouted, showing her disappointment quite clearly. The iron man laughed loudly, who then decided to rub it in further. "It's no wonder. You're only good at being brutal. No delicacy at all- none of it."

"Are you saying volleyball is delicate? Cause the crap they're pulling off is crazy!"

Mordekaiser froze. Looking over to check up on the volleyball field, he found Viktor, who was forced to play, using his Gravity Field to slow the ball down. His robotic arm then punted the ball up in the air.

"That... is so cheap."

"Exactly!"

"Like you."

"Do you have a death wish?"

"Forgive me."

Vi sighed, preventing herself from lashing out. The Master of Metal scratched the back of his helmet, thinking of something to say. He wanted to practice initiating conversations comfortably with someone other than Mercedes and his Shadow Isles buddies. The reason to this was that recently, he and Clementine, Mercedes' favorite pupil, had not talked with each other than when they wanted to plan out strategies. There was a charm within her that made him remember Mercedes' days as a summoner, and for that, he wanted to at least treat her like how he had with his former contract-summoner in their earlier days.

He had heard from Mercedes that she wanted to become his new contract-summoner after her first match with Mordekaiser. Contracts were made only when one truly desired to work with a specific champion. However, she had recently become more serious around the iron man, and the charm he saw within her seemed to be dissipating. Mordekaiser was decent at talking in conversations, but he never was good with starting them. With Clementine fearing the Master of Metal, and her ever-growing silence around him, Mordekaiser feared that the most viable choice for a contract-summoner was slowly walking away from him. This was why he wanted to practice initiating conversations with others.

And so Mordekaiser thought... and thought... and thought... and drank some soda... and thought...

Until he finally came up with something.

The Master of Metal slumped down on his sofa, lying in a somewhat uncomfortable position that he considered to be 'cool'. He then cleared his throat, prompting Vi to give him her attention. With confidence in his voice, Mordekaiser told Vi,

"You've got a nice abdomen."

…

…

…

…

…

Vi blinked. She stared at Mordekaiser, taken by surprise at his sudden question. After what felt like an eternity of checking whether the iron man had gone insane or not, the Piltover Enforcer managed to reply, "Uh... thanks...?"

"You're welcome."

Mordekaiser turned back to spectate an on-going volleyball match between Jax and Elise from afar. The poor Grandmaster at Arms had trouble dealing with Elise's numerous amounts of flirtatious taunts while winning the game at the same time. Vi spectated the game as well, though she took glances at the Master of Metal whenever she had the chance to do so.

_I wonder what that was about..._

As the Enforcer continued to spectate the game, she heard the iron man say to her, "You've got nice thighs, too."

"H-Huh? Uh, yeah. Thanks... I guess?"

"You're welcome."

Mordekaiser continued to spectate the volleyball match again. Vi looked around, wondering if the Master of Metal was attempting to pull off a prank. _This,_ thought the Enforcer, _is getting **pretty **awkward..._

"You have beautiful biceps."

"T-Thanks."

"And nice triceps."

"Got it."

"And nice hair."

"Dude," said Vi, exasperation clear in her voice, "I did _not_ change my hair at all. What's up with you-"

Mordekaiser abruptly interrupted her, bluntly asking, "You look good today, Enforcer. Is complimenting that look a crime?"

The Piltover Enforcer froze. She opened her mouth to say something, only to find nothing come out of it. With a confused look, Vi mumbled quietly, "No."

_What's up with this guy? Is he angry at me? Or- no wait, he might've finally snapped. That's it! Mordekaiser **snapped**. Just like that. Maybe that hell horsey played some trick on him, or that green lantern dude decided to ruin his day somehow! Or maybe some other champion ticked him off to the point where he'd **love** to go insane rather than stay with them! Like, really, if he was in his right mind, then he'd be roaring at me with his panties in a-_

"**_VI!_**"

"_Gah,_" screamed the Piltover Enforcer, "_what's your problem, man?!_"

Mordekaiser glared at her before grumbling something inaudible. He had opened another can of soda while Vi had spaced out. Staring at the can, he held the can in front of the Enforcer.

"Here."

Vi stared at the can, then at Mordekaiser. She took one more look at the drink before asking, "What's this?"

"What does it look like to you? _Kog'Maw?_ This is for you."

Vi flipped out.

And by flip out, she literally did flip. The pink-haired girl flipped over the sofa due to sheer surprise, landing on her head. After facing the sandy ground for what seemed like an eternity, she stood up before dusting off the sand on her body. Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow at the Enforcer's reaction. "Are you going to take this or not?"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm still thirsty anyways. What am I to you today, your 'waifu' or something?"

Mordekaiser thought about it. He then nodded, confused between the term 'waifu' and 'friend'. He had no clue that 'waifu' meant 'wife'. "I honestly have no idea what that is, but I guess you're a waifu."

Vi snatched the can away from Mordekaiser, drinking a huge portion from it. Her face was beet red from both embarrassment and humiliation. The Enforcer wondered whether he was either treating her nicely with or without any mischievous intentions. As she continued to drink, the Master of Metal gave her an evil eye for whatever reason he had.

"...W-What? Is something on my face?"

"Yes," said the iron man. Just when Vi began to ask about what it was, Mordekaiser raised a hand, motioning the Enforcer to do something.

"What," asked Vi, "are you exactly doing?"

"Hold still," said the Master of Metal. After a few moments of silence, the iron man slapped a monstrously green Poro (a round, furry creature) off of the pink-haired woman's face.

Vi rubbed her cheek, mumbling, "Sheesh, my luck with Poros... and what was that even doing here, anyways?" As she paid attention to her face, the iron man bent over to observe something on Vi. "...Okay, what's under there?"

"Nice butt."

The Piltover Enforcer did not hesitate to grab the Master of Metal's helmet. She mustered up her strength before she lifting him up with one hand. The Enforcer then began to swing the iron man around with great efficiency. After about twenty-four rotations, Vi let go of Mordekaiser, who flew towards the ocean, as she roared,

"_**DON'T TALK ABOUT MY**** BUTT!**_"

Mordekaiser could be heard screaming back, "_**BUT THAT'S YOUR ONLY REDEEMING**** FEATURE...!**_"

* * *

Hecarim sat on a blue coral reef, chomping down a starfish peacefully. Everything around him seemed to know that he was a being with presence, so wherever he walked, a clear path was in front of him. Except for the strange, flat fish that were stuck on the ground. Those things never seemed to move, so he didn't hesitate on eating them as well. To him, the sea was like a buffet to him. He preferred Chinese, but it wasn't as if he _didn't_ like free food.

Just when he swallowed the rest of the starfish, he saw something dive into the water in front of him. Squinting his eyes, he curiously looked at the newcomer. The massive amount of bubbles dispersed, revealing Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal, face-flat on the sandy surface of the ocean.

"_Mordekaiser,_" Hecarim exclaimed, who seemed to defy the effects that water has on sound, "_you're here for mermaids, too?!_"

"Shut up, Hec'," mumbled Mordekaiser as he stood up from his unceremonious entrance, "I just learned that women are strong."

The Shadow of War raised both of his eyebrows, surprised at the iron man's revelation. "I had no clue about that, actually. Anyways, could you help me open this ice cube I found?"

The Master of Metal rolled his eyes before walking over to Hecarim. "Yes, yes. An ice cube. No big of a deal. I mean, it's just _ice_ Hec'. What's so hard about cracking _ice?_"

"Morde', I don't think it's normal ice. Lemme show you."

The Horseman jumped off of the reef he was sitting on before walking around it. Mordekaiser looked around, making sure that no one else was with them, before following his friend. When he found Hecarim, he also found a gigantic ice cube shoved into the sandy ground. The shining, white color contrasted greatly with the rest of the ocean. Eyes round from the surprise before him, the Master of Metal said to the Shadow of War,

"Hecarim, this isn't ice! This is _purified diamond!_"_  
_

"**_REALLY?!_** Holy crap, we could get rich-"

"No, no, no," said Mordekaiser hastily, "that's not it! This is stuff that came from the _Marai_ clan!"

Hecarim gasped dramatically. "The _Marai_ clan?! That's not- wait, what the heck is _Marai_, anyways?"

"Well, not much was found about them. From what I heard, the Marai are- no, _were_ tribespeople who lived in water. They depended on some sort of crystal thing to scare away 'terrors of the sea' from their home. Starting from a certain point, though, they suddenly vanished."

The Master of Metal stared at the object before him, while Hecarim nodded, interested in what these _Marai_ were. "So," asked the Shadow of War, "they were mermaids?"

"Fishpeople, to be more specific. There were men, too. Though, even I'm curious..."

"About what?"

Mordekaiser walked up to the shining crystal, touching it with his steel hand. The surface of the cube felt both soft _and_ hard. A strange feeling he had never felt before.

"Why _did_ they vanish? What kind of power did this crystal have? And why is _this_ in here?"

Silence befell. The two simply stared at the object before them. They had no clue as to what it was, and they didn't know what to do with it either. It was a foreign object that Shadow Isles did not know of. The possibility of the cube being a threat was unknown, making it an incredibly mysterious object.

"...So," asked Hecarim, "is this thing really made of diamond?"

"Actually, no, I just said that to catch your attention."

"I hate you so much."

Mordekaiser summoned his mace. There was no need for safety gadgets if he wanted to do what he was about to do. Hecarim saw this and, being the stylish Horseman he was, took out his spear, twirling it around to increase his adrenaline. "Let's bust it up," muttered the Master of Metal.

And so, they began to strike the cube. Mordekaiser smashed the cube non-stop, while Hecarim delivered swift and powerful blows at a fast pace. They continued to attack the object, which had the possibility of being a threat to their homes. This mysterious object that was suddenly found by the Shadow of War was now being obliterated in the hands of-

"Holy... crap... this... thing won't... freaking..."

Mordekaiser fell on his knees, while Hecarim flew backwards for no reason. When the Horseman landed on his back, the two cried out simultaneously,

"_**WHY WON'T IT**** OPEN?!**_"

The Master of Metal punched the sandy ground beneath him, frustrated with the cube. Hecarim stood on his hooves before heading to the iron man. "Let's stop hitting it. This thing is crazy strong... and I doubt it'd start shooting lasers at our castles if we don't destroy it."

Mordekaiser sighed, glaring at the cube. There was a way to destroy the object, and he knew it. But he knew that the Horseman was right- it wouldn't be breaking any sooner if even _they_ could not destroy it. Not that they used their full potential, but that would lead to the destruction of the environment around them. After he thought about what to do with the cube, Mordekaiser cracked his knuckles, heading to the object. Gathering his strength, the iron man grabbed the massive cube before lifting it up with his hands. It was heavy, but not to the point where he could not break it. This attribute of the unknown object made the iron man further question about its existence and purpose.

"Enough said. I shall take care of the cube, so don't you worry about it."

Hecarim shrugged. "Fair enough. I don't wanna stay around that thing anymore."

The two began to leave the sea. Judging by how deep they were in the ocean, it would take some time for them to reach the surface. Mordekaiser asked the Shadow of War, "Hecarim, what time do you think it is now?"

The Horseman put up a thoughtful look. He had forgotten when he had entered the sea, so it was quite a hard question for him. "Well," said Hecarim with a look of uncertainty, "afternoon, I guess? I did stay here for quite a long time, and you were at the beach when I found that cube."

"Hmph. It must be nearing nighttime, then."

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

* * *

Like Mordekaiser had said, the sun had fallen, now replaced with a bright moon. It was now dark in the beach, and the only sources of light came from the many fireplaces and the 'Break' building. The shelter was now filled with a majority of the champions, with a minority staying at the sandy beach. Time had passed quickly for the Master of Metal, but for the rest, the day was long and fun. It was the ideal vacation most of them had wanted.

Inside the building, there were dozens of rooms, most that featured a variety of things to keep the champions occupied. There were sports-related rooms at the basement, an arcade center, a cafe, and much more. It was quite the 'hotel' that every League member wanted to stay at. Plus, the restrooms were better than the Champions' Break's back at the Institute. There were two large rooms for the male and female champions to sleep in.

Sona Buvelle was at a spa, relaxing in the fresh, hot water inside the large bath. It did a good job at releasing the tensions in her muscles, which had become sore after a dozen volleyball matches. A towel was around her body, which kept the warmth of the water whenever she left the bath for a drink. The maven had stayed in the spa for a fairly long time, and she didn't seem to be bothered about it. After all, this was a vacation. She could do whatever she wanted to do during a break.

The Maven of Strings was deep in thought, however. Despite her loving the beach vacation, she had some things to contemplate about. The spa helped her think in peace, and the lack of people seemed to help her. Sona remembered Jarvan mentioning something about eating dinner with her, but she couldn't decide whether rejecting his offer was good or not. The prince didn't seek to sulk about it, but he was visibly disappointed. At least, until he was hit by Kha'Zix in the head with a volleyball. The Buvelle lady respected the leader of Demacia, though there were some awkward attributes he had.

And then there was Mordekaiser. She remembered earlier that day...

* * *

_The Maven of Strings jumped up in the air, spiking a volleyball as close to the net as possible. Janna Windforce, the Storm's Fury, leapt over to save the ball, only to find that she was too far from it. It was a close match, and Sona emerged as the victor for the female championship. No one knew how she managed to do it, but some claimed that it was the men's fault for insulting every female excluding the maven. Their 'demoralization' plan seemed to help her rise to the top, though no one knew for sure._

_"Wow," said Janna, who was quite proud of her own achievements, "you're really good at this stuff! I'd love to learn more skills from you."_

_Sona, who had just left the volleyball field, sheepishly smiled. Janna joined her underneath a parasol, still fascinated at how the maven at more strength to her than she looked. The blue-haired lady squirmed on the mat she sat on. "T-Thanks."_

_Just when the Storm's Fury opened her mouth to ask something, she heard someone call out to her, "Janna! We kinda need you for some wind, here! A lil' help?"_

_"Alright, Garen!"_

_Janna sighed before cheerfully telling Sona, "Phooey. I think Kha'Zix fainted from evolving himself again. Catch you later!"_

_The Maven of Strings nodded with a wide smile, letting the Windforce float away to the violently twitching Voidreaver. With Janna gone, Sona looked around for anything entertaining to watch. Her eyes found themselves setting upon Jax and Elise playing volleyball with each other. It was already an unfair match due to the Spider Queen utilizing her spiders as backup players, but it was still an interesting mixed gender battle. As Jax finally found a chance to land a spike, however, something caught the maven's eyes._

_Behind the crowded audience, and _**_far_**_ behind the players... something that hadn't caught her eyes the first time was found. Sona saw none other than the Master of Metal, his hair set loose, looking through an ice box. He wasn't eye-catching, but for some reason, she couldn't pry her eyes off of what he was doing. She was curious- what was he looking for? Time passed before the iron man suddenly froze. He then snatched away a canned drink from the box before shutting it with a swift kick. After opening the can, the Master of Metal walked over to another person that she also didn't notice at a first glance. Mordekaiser handed the drink to Vi, who had spaced out for some reason._

_The iron man waited for the Enforcer to wake up. After giving her some more time, he decided to use a little bit of noise to catch her attention. Sona heard a quiet yell given by Mordekaiser, which startled Vi tremendously. They talked for a while before the pink-haired woman suddenly flipped over the sofa she sat on. She eventually took the drink from the Master of Metal._

_Sona stiffened. An unreadable expression swept over her face. After observing the two champions for a little longer, Sona turned her attention to watch the ongoing volleyball match. She did not notice the iron man flying away to the seas._

* * *

Sona shook her head to wake herself up. Even the spa wasn't helping her think about it clearly. The Maven of Strings decided that she was over thinking things. As she thought of other topics to soothe her mind, she couldn't help but wonder,

_Where had Lord Mordekaiser gone off to?_

* * *

_A few hours later..._

* * *

As midnight neared, Mordekaiser and Hecarim burst out of the sea. Seaweeds and starfish stuck closely on their armor, which limited their movements. The Master of Metal flicked a starfish off of his chest before panting out, "Holy... crap... how deep... were we... in the sea...?"

"I... dunno," the Horseman wheezed, "but we... were pretty... freaking deep... in the sea..."

The two stood with their backs facing the ocean. Mordekaiser had it hard because of the cube, but Hecarim fought off _sharks_ and _electric eels_ that thirsted for blood, making his journey equally harsh. The Shadow of War sighed, feeling some of his energy returning to him. "Man... that was pretty crazy."

"Pretty crazy? More like _insane_! I'm surprised this cube is still in one piece after all of that."

Hecarim nodded in agreement. After recovering for a little longer, Mordekaiser began to walk away from the 'Break' building nearby. "I'm... gonna need some rest. You could go on ahead, Hecarim." The Horseman nodded again, motioning that he would enter the building. When the Shadow of War trotted away, Mordekaiser walked to find a good resting spot. When he found his steel parasol still set up on the sand, the iron man sighed in relief. With a mighty leap, he landed on his sofa.

"Nothing like a good night's rest."

He stared at the glowing moon in all of its magnificence. Some thought that the sun brought great fortune among people, but the iron man found himself appreciating the moon more. It was like him- mysterious, overshadowed, and great presence. And like him, the moon appeared when active people fall asleep. Plus, it wasn't as bright as the shining sun, and neither was it as talkative as its bright counterpart.

Mordekaiser did not like his vacation so far. The only worthwhile moments he had were times when Hecarim was around. He didn't appreciate many of the champions bothering him, but if it was a Shadow Isles denizen, then it was a different story. However, this trait highlighted one of the iron man's biggest problems- his anti-social nature. He was still trying to fix this negative attribute, but he knew that it would take a long time. Thankfully, Mercedes' presence forced him to interact with other champions. Even if he didn't like hanging around them.

Closing his eyes, the Master of Metal decided to sleep. There were two days left, and if he repeated the same routine, he'd get over the vacation quickly. He hadn't seen Mercedes yet, which only further increased his boredom.

Then he heard something crack.

Jerking an eye open, he turned to his right, looking for the source of the noise. He noticed that there was a crack on the object he had brought with him. However, what he was mainly focused on was the shining light between the cube and the moon.

"What the...?"

Mordekaiser stood up. The cube was reacting with the eye of night. He walked over to the large object, curious as to what was exactly happening. Another crack appeared on the cube, this time at a much larger scale. Backing away, the iron man found the object forming cracks at an extremely high pace. But it was no ordinary pace- he remembered exactly what it was.

_This... thing... is it receiving the impact Hecarim and I dealt on it..._ **now**...?

Just when he was about to approach the object, it suddenly shined an extremely bright light, forcing the iron man to cover his vision. The cube violently rumbled on the sand. Mordekaiser braced for any sorts of impact it could deal at the beach.

But nothing happened.

Instead, the light began to fade away. The Master of Metal uncovered his vision, only to find that the cube was no longer there. It had mysteriously vanished, leaving particles of light behind. But there was also another thing that had appeared. It had the tail of a fish, but its upper body looked similar to that of a human's. The creature wore some sort of helmet that looked similar to Tryndamere's, only with less spikiness on it.

Mordekaiser froze. This wasn't a fish- it was a Marai descendant.

"But," the iron man asked himself, "how? How?!"

Mordekaiser reluctantly walked over to take a closer look. The creature was a slender female. When he confirmed suspicions, the Master of Metal crouched, kneeling on one knee. He had studied much of the Marai before, mainly with cruel intentions, but here it was; the subject he had always wanted to see before his eyes. It was ironic, considering how he was now tame compared to his past self. Still, his curiosity about the Marai and not changed.

And then she woke up.

The mermaid opened her eyes, revealing bright, orange irises. She shifted uncomfortably on the sand. The Marai was visibly dazed, as she blindly looked around her surroundings. As her vision began to clear, she found Mordekaiser staring into her soul.

The Marai's eyes widened, fascinated at the iron man's strange appearance. Mordekaiser stiffened. He didn't like where things were going already. The mermaid rolled over so that she lied on her stomach. She squirmed on the sand, attempting to move, but to no avail. The creature continued to stare at the Master of Metal with round eyes.

"Dang," muttered Mordekaiser, fascinated by the Marai's appearance, "this is actually pretty sweet! I wonder how she tastes like."

The Master of Metal reached out for the mermaid's head. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, Mordekaiser stood over the Marai before he pinched her cheeks. The Marai blinked, a look of curiosity entering her face. When the iron man found the mermaid staring at him, he couldn't help but stare back. Something about her made him feel excited as well, though he couldn't tell what the feeling exactly was.

As he made various expressions on the mermaids face, he failed to notice a woman watching from afar.

Underneath the starry night, Sona Buvelle, Maven of Strings, looked at the two figures on the beach. She did not have a peaceful aura around her, for the lady was not feeling well- far from well, actually. Her brows were furrowed, her face expressing confusion. Sona didn't know what she was feeling, but for some reason, something about Mordekaiser spending time with the creature made her feel left out- out of his friendship, that is. Had the Master of Metal vanished just to spend time with the foreign lady? And not to mention, but the iron man got along with others recently... so what does that make her?

The unanswered questions infuriated her. There was one more full day at the beach, and that would be her most viable chance to find the answers she had been looking for. Sona would be ready for that day, and not even Vi would get in her way. Standing inside the 'Break' building (in the girl's dormitory), she softly left the window she used to observe the iron man.

Meanwhile, Mordekaiser ruffled his hair, oblivious to what had occurred at the Break. After testing the flexibility of her face, he decided to observe her tail. Just when he put his face close to the mermaid's body, he felt something smash his back. The Master of Metal grabbed the Marai by instinct, tumbling over the sandy ground. As his little journey came to a halt, Mordekaiser shook his head to shake off the sand that went inside his helmet, Hecarim in front of him.

"Morde'! You actually found a mermaid! You lucky nutcracker," exclaimed the Shadow of War. Fortunately, the three were quite far from the Break at this point, allowing the Master of Metal to punch the Horseman's face. "You fool," Mordekaiser shouted, "you nearly broke my back!"

"No sh**_#&_,**" said Hecarim with a carefree tone, "I just love you that much."

Mordekaiser sighed. He looked around the beach, asking his Shadow Isles friend, "Uh, do you know of anywhere I could shove this mermaid into? I'm getting a bad feeling about showing her to the other champions; especially the men."

"Indeed," the Shadow of War agreed with a nod. Mordekaiser took note of how he was shaking uncontrollably. "Though, there is no place for her other than the trees."

The Master of Metal scrunched his face up in confusion. "Why not the sea?" Hecarim gave the iron man an 'are-you-high' look before he answered, "So that she won't float away. Do you honestly think that she would stand a chance against those sharks I fought?"

Mordekaiser made a thoughtful look. Hecarim was right- the mermaid was unarmed, and she looked far too weak to fight the sharks that nearly ate his friend. After giving the sea one last look, the Master of Metal picked the mermaid up before he headed to a group of trees. The tallest tree seemed far too tall to be considered 'safe', the shortest giving her appearance away almost instantly. With a quick decision, the iron man jumped onto the top of a fair-sized tree. It wobbled, but quickly recovered as the Master of Metal regained his balance. The upper tips of the trees were surprisingly large enough for a few yordles to sit in, but Mordekaiser filled up the entire space.

Carefully sitting down, the Shadow Isles denizen placed the Marai on his lap. She stared at her surroundings, then at the iron man, then the environment again. Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. She seemed to be quite young for someone part of an ancient tribe. _Perhaps,_ the iron man thought with hope, _there are more? This could be an interesting topic to learn about. After all, lords of Shadow Isles need to know Runeterra at the back of their hand- even if they are not in action right at the moment._

As he stared at the moon, he felt the mermaid squirm. When time passed, though, her movements began to falter. Soon enough, she fell to sleep. Hecarim decided to keep quiet about Mordekaiser's discovery as he ventured out the seas again. The Master of Metal let the Shadow of War go, for he too was tired. The warm body of the Marai did a good job at making him fall asleep.

* * *

_The next day..._

* * *

It was another exciting day at the beach, and Surfer Singed sure did know how to spend his time. Many knew of Singed's tragic downfall as a Mad Chemist. Before he became the Surfer he was now, Singed was like any other fighter in the League of Legends- a champion. Using a huge arsenal of potions as weapons, he brought waves of attentions to himself. Due to a particular Noxian Exile, though, his glory fell short. He was struck in the head by the blunt handle of Riven's sword, which made him lose his memories. Surprisingly enough, his amnesia brought him closer to the other champions. Now calling himself the 'Surfing Chemist' (he still is the Mad Chemist), Singed finds fun in brewing potions while surfing at the same time. This was one of the reasons why Mordekaiser despised him, though he had to admit, it was easier to talk to him.

Singed surfed across a massive wave in the ocean. Drinking from a sickly purple liquid from a bottle, he announced to particularly no one but himself,

"This potion shall enhance my instincts by nine thousand skill points."

The Chemist found himself flying in the air, submerging shortly after his plight.

Meanwhile on the beach, a certain gambler stood inside a food stall. For everyone else, it was a vacation; for Twisted Fate, it was a money-making session. As he enjoyed the presence of fans cooling his stall, the Cardmaster flipped a blue card around. His first day at the beach was decent, his second being more enjoyable. He always loved rolling in the riches. Twisted Fate grinned when he spotted Darius storming over to his stall. The Noxian was exhausted thanks to facing Jarvan in a wrestling match.

"Fate," Darius panted as he approached the gambler, "I want some soda! How much?"

Twisted Fate coolly put his card away, calmly answering,

"Five thousand."

The Right Hand of Noxus felt his jaw slam itself on the ground.

"Fuh- _five thousand?!_ Are you nuts?!"

"Now, now," the Cardmaster said with his suave tone, "we all are crazy to a certain extent. And mind you, I'm actually being generous here. Now are you gonna buy it or not?"

A minute later, Darius left with his drink, infuriated at how quickly he was ripped off. Twisted Fate chuckled, putting his money in a large leather sack underneath the counter. When he looked up, however, he found another customer staring at him- a well-known customer.

"...!"

The gambler stiffened, giving Nidalee the nicest smile he could make. The Beastial Huntress looked through the menu plastered outside of the stall before pointing at an item.

"Soda."

Despite wearing a white flower shirt and short pants, Twisted Fate felt sweat trickle down his neck. If he made her pay the price that Darius paid, then he was sure to get himself (if not killed) severely injured. After making up another price in his head, he forced a grin, adjusted his cowboy hat and told her,_  
_

"Fifty."

Far away, Darius could be heard spitting his soda out.

* * *

The Demacians were inside the 'Break' building, sharing a table at the cafeteria. Xin Zhao drank his beer in an extremely manly way (don't ask how). Unlike many of the champions at the Break, his hair was not ruined, his face cleaner than Twitch's. Lux Crownguard, on the other hand, had her hair destroyed during her sleep. Well, not _destroyed_, but in a technical way. Strands of hair stuck out of her head as if she was a sun. Quinn, Demacia's Wing, fed her bird partner, Valor, with sliced meat. She was one of the newer additions to the League of Legends, and people found her to be a formidable carry and one of the few that actually respects Jarvan IV. Shyvana, the Half-Dragon, chewed on her waffles. Nearly everyone knew about her fondness with Jarvan, though she hid that attribute with a mean heart. Garen, on the other hand, quietly sipped his coffee. The Demacians wore blue swimming clothes, the women wearing bikinis, the men with trunks. Two of their members were missing: Fiora, was missing because she was still in her room, Jarvan due to his wrestling match with Darius.

There was reason as to why they were silent, though. Sitting with them was Sona Buvelle, the Maven of Strings. Her sitting with them wasn't a strange sight to see- in fact, she was almost always with Demacians when she ate. Oblivious to the others' frequent stares, Sona nibbled on her salad. It wasn't her that made them stare at her.

It was her clothes.

Unlike the first day, she wore a blue-and-white striped bikini. Everyone knew that Sona barely changed her clothes (except for when the time called for it), so this was an incredibly unusual sight for even the Demacians. Even without changing, the men fawned over how she was 'the perfect woman with the perfect everything,' and here she was now, dressed and ready for the beach.

After silently sipping on his coffee once more, Garen slammed the table, practically waking everyone up except for Xin.

"Sona!"

The maven blinked, tilting her head. "_What troubles you, Sir Crownguard?_"

The Might of Demacia bent over the table, his fist sticking to it. Preventing his nose from bleeding out a flood, Garen loudly asked Sona, "That is my question- _what troubles you, Miss Buvelle?!_"

At this, Master Yi popped out of nowhere, next to Garen, as he slammed the table as well. Unlike the Crownguard, he could not stop his nose from spewing out blood. "_Indeed!_ Something must be troubling you, therefore causing you to wear that awesome- er, revealing outfit! I demand an explanation!"

Shyvana stiffened at Yi's comment. Though she had no idea as to where he came from, he was right- her clothes were surprisingly revealing, and the most revealing among all of the outfits the maven wore. Fearing that a certain prince would go crazy over the maven, the Half-Dragon blurted out, "T-That's right! You know that most of the men are kind of... like _animals!_ Yeah, animals! You should be more careful, Sona!"

Sona found herself blinking at all of their comments. After an awkward moment of silence passed, she slightly drooped her head. Much to the Demacians' surprise, she had a look of sadness replace her peaceful smile. "W-What's wrong," Garen asked, "are you not feeling well, perhaps...?"

The Maven of Strings slowly nodded. Just when the Might of Demacia could further ask more questions, everyone heard the familiar sound of Jarvan's footsteps. The Prince of Demacia burst into the cafeteria with the happiest face that mankind would ever see for a century.

"_Everyone! I beat Darius **and** Pantheon in a wrestling match! Wahoo!_"

At this, Xin Zhao stood up from his seat, headbanging wildly. Master Yi whistled as he clapped, while Garen found himself mimicking the Wuju Master's actions. Jarvan laughed as he walked toward the table, "Ha ha ha! I had no idea I had this kind of potential within me. That may be the reason as to why I'm so happy. Let us celebrate-"

Just when the Prince of Demacia saw Sona, he froze. Shyvana furrowed her brows, noticing what was going to happen.

"Sona...?"

Jarvan staggered a few steps backward, his expression that of one in shock. The Maven of Strings looked up to the prince before she respectfully bowed. "_Greetings, King Jarvan._"

The prince's lips trembled, his eyes shining with joy. Jarvan ran towards Sona screaming,

"**_M'LADYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY-_**"

Just when he was about to embrace the maven with open arms, Shyvana punched the prince in the face, stopping him dead in his tracks. As the Half-Dragon put Jarvan under a headlock, Master Yi asked Sona, "Anyways, what is it that bothers you?"

The Maven of Strings squirmed on her seat, uncomfortable with the question. When she chose her words carefully, Sona quietly answered,

"_I-It's... about... Lord __Mordekaiser... it's not something that should trouble you, though. I-I... I want to have a word with him._"

Everyone in the cafeteria froze. Kha'Zix stopped evolving his face, Rammus nearly screamed, and Shaco frowned in shock.

...

...

...

Sona looked around, curious as to why everyone stopped breathing. When no one moved, she stood up from her seat. "_W-Well, I shall be going. Have a fun day, everyone! And, umm... please excuse me._"

The Maven of Strings left the cafeteria.

Shortly after, the Demacians screamed in unison (with Lux's voice being the loudest),

"**_AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH -_**"

As chaos swept over the cafeteria, Jarvan flung his arms wildly, having no clue on what to do. Garen placed a hand on the prince's shoulder, devastated by the maven's answer, as he asked, "Jarvan! What are we gonna do about this?! She might get herself hurt if no one stops her!"

Jarvan IV put up a thoughtful look, sweating a bucket, before he smacked an open palm with a fist. "There's no use in trying with other means, for there's only one solution to this...!"

* * *

Mordekaiser opened his eyes. Above him was the dreaded sun he always despised. He squinted, already missing the moon's presence, looking at the Marai he had found the previous day. The mermaid was still asleep, much to his relief. The Master of Metal had noticed that every champion was out at the beach again. From the trees, he saw everything- not that he even wanted to, of course. He sighed when he saw something moving in the middle of the ocean.

"Oh boy... I forgot that Hec' went to the sea yesterday... and _never came back._"

Carefully moving the mermaid off of his lap, Mordekaiser jumped off of the tree he was on. Sand scattered around him as he landed. The Master of Metal knew the gist of what was coming, and he didn't want to face it early in the morning. He waited, standing near the water. He waited and waited and waited...

Until the beast finally burst out of the seas. Before the iron man was an unidentifiable creature with sea creatures plastered all over it. Mordekaiser summoned his mace, ready to swing at any moment. But just before he actually got to attack, the sea monster blindly charged, knocking the Master of Metal out of the way. "Dang," Mordekaiser mumbled as he stopped himself from crashing through a tree. He dashed over to the monster, mace in hand, before jumping on what he thought was its back. Skipping to the top, the Master of Metal made a final jump before he smashed his mace against the beast's head.

But it wasn't a beast, and he knew it. The 'head' instantly flew off, causing the rest of its body to crumble. When all of the sea creatures and weeds fell off, Mordekaiser found Hecarim standing in the midst of a mess.

"...Oh hi, Morde'," Hecarim said nonchalently, "I found nothing except for these creatures."

Mordekaiser punched the Horseman in the face, who decided to head for the 'Break' building shortly afterwards. The iron man shook his head in disapproval of the Shadow of War's actions. Just when he headed for the 'Break' as well, he bumped into one of the champions. The champion fell before looking back up at the Master of Metal, who didn't seem to budge. When Mordekaiser noticed who he was looking at, his eyes nearly fell off of their sockets.

In front of him was Sona Buvelle, the Maven of Strings. She had properly dressed up with flashy beachwear, much to the iron man's surprise. Utterly baffled by her choice of clothing, Mordekaiser scratched the back of his helmet before lending a hand. "Huh! If it isn't the Maven of Strings," the Master of Metal exclaimed with an awkwardly friendly tone. "You look a little... different today." Sona smiled, taking the hand, before she replied, "_Greetings, Lord Mordekaiser._" The maven stifled a light-hearted giggle, "_And you don't look that different at all._"

Mordekaiser wondered what she had meant. He was to quick to catch on, as he chuckled. "I have two choices for clothing: armor and no armor." The iron man observed Sona once more, still surprised at her appearance. The maven stiffened when she noticed the Master of Metal looking up and down. "_Umm,_" the blue-haired lady nervously asked, "_does it look strange?_"

"Hmm? What looks strange?"

"_I... I decided to wear something different this time. Intentionally. To fit in with my friends._"

The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh yeah, I forgot you had friends."

Sona frowned at this.

Taken aback at the musician's reaction, Mordekaiser managed to exclaim, "O-On another note, your outfit is great! First time _that_ ever came out of my mouth, so you should be honored."

The Maven of Strings felt her eyes widen, her face brightening at the compliment. _Good,_ Mordekaiser thought as he stopped scratching his helmet, _I got off the hook a little easier than I thought._ After she made a wide smile again, the iron man couldn't help but chuckle again. Apparently, her instrument was no the only thing that soothed his clouded mind. The Master of Metal then said with a slightly bored expression,

"This beach... we _are_ leaving it tomorrow, right?"

"_Yes, though I presume that this is better for you._"

Mordekaiser blinked. "What do you mean, maven?"

"_You want to leave,_" the Maven of Strings asked innocently, "_or __am I not right, Lord Mordekaiser?_"

Indeed, he wanted to leave. _Badly._ Unfortunately, it was people like Sona that made him hesitate. He still wanted her to stick close to him for multiple reasons, his primary being that her presence would chase off others away from him. And she wasn't all that of a bad person to stick around with. Far from bad, of course.

So Mordekaiser bluntly answered,

"Yes. I want to leave- badly. I want to leave so badly, that I regretted not jumping off of the ship while my other three friends did so. This is a stupid trip."

Sona nodded, a pang of guilt striking her. Lowering her head, the Maven of Strings quietly said, "_I see..._" She hid her disappointment from the Master of Metal. But Mordekaiser continued,

"But... people like you make me question my own thoughts. People like you have made this trip somewhat worthwhile to me. Without someone like you, I might as well have killed myself before the second day even came."

At this, Sona's eyes widened. She knew nothing of Mordekaiser's ability to revive (like any other Shadow Isles champion), which seemed to make her think from a different perspective. Heat invading her cheeks, the maven looked at Mordekaiser, who looked back with a calm expression. "So I would like to give you my thanks," the Master of Metal continued, "for helping me endure this painful trip. And making it actually enjoyable in some aspects. We haven't met that much yesterday; I am quite sorry for that."

The Maven of Strings opened her mouth to say something, only to realize that nothing would come out of it. Looking around, Sona made sure that no one suspicious was observing them before she quietly whispered, "_T-Thank you, Lord, uh, Mordekaiser._"

Mordekaiser nodded. After she regained her composure, Sona decided to initiate her first attack. With her calm expression back in position, the Maven of Strings asked, "_I am quite curious though; what is your relationship with Vi?_"

The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow, startled by her question. Making a thoughtful look, the iron man contemplated. On one hand, she was a friend of his. A cocky friend that had good intentions. She was also his partner in quite a few important times, such as when he substituted Shen as a doctor. Yes, he knew exactly what she was. Mordekaiser looked back at Sona as he told her,

"She is my 'waifu'."

...

...

...

Silence befell over the two. Meanwhile, behind a couple trees nearby the two, a familiar group of Demacians hid, spying on the situation. Eyes round from surprise, everyone looked at each other. Jarvan, their one and only leader, pointed at Mordekaiser before he quietly asked his comrades,

"V-Vi... got married with Mordekaiser... whom Sona wants a word with...?"

Lux nodded, confident with her misunderstood information. She bit her lip before she whispered, "Well, he just said it himself, didn't he...?!" As the feminine Crownguard scratched her head in confusion, her brother, Garen, simply shook his head in disapproval. Xin Zhao then asked a question,

"My lord, when are we leaving this beach?"

Jarvan spaced out briefly before he answered, "Tomorrow. Why'd you ask?"

"I'm bored. I want to fight in the Rift again."

"Well," the Prince of Demacia grinned as he told the spearman, "tomorrow, you might as well fight in the rift. I, on the other hand, am curious only because Sona is entangled in the situation."

Shyvana pouted, annoyed at the prince's extreme fondness for the Maven of Strings.

As the Demacians bickered among themselves, their attention taken away from the Master of Metal and the Maven of Strings, Mordekaiser decided to further explain to Sona,

"She is like a friend, I guess. Just a friend- a good and bad one. Nothing more than that."

The maven sighed in relief. She had nearly lost control of herself thanks to the iron man. With the question answered, she decided to ask another, "_So... I heard that you found something from the seas? What was it?_"

The Master of Metal scratched his head as he blurt out, "A mermaid. Hecarim wanted to find one, so good for him, I guess. Now that I mentioned it, that girl was..."

Mordekaiser looked back at Sona, whose eyes pierced through his. He decided to play safe as he told the maven, "...er, amusing. I'm thinking about bringing her with me to the Institute- after all, she seemed rare for her kind."

The Maven of Strings nodded, her expression softening. She twirled one of her pigtails with a finger before she asked yet again,

"_Ah, uh... I'm... terribly sorry for asking so much, but..._"

The iron man thought to himself,

_You better be, because you're scaring me right now._

Sona looked down at the sandy surface as she asked, "_...are you, perhaps, busy this dinner...?_"

The Demacians froze, halting their endless bickering. Jarvan's eyes nearly flew out of its sockets, Garen nearly slamming his face onto a tree. Mordekaiser shook his head. "No. Actually, technically I am, but I do not want to spend time next to bloodthirsty champions who hate me to the core." The Maven of Strings let go of her hair, intent on asking her last question. Sona looked back up, eyes filled with a small gleam of hope, as she asked,

"_Then... may I... dine with you? I have some other matters I want to discuss with you... privately..._"

The Master of Metal, oblivious to the maven's comrades giving him death glares, laughed loudly. "_Ha!_ A dinner with the Maven of Strings. I don't usually accept invitations, but knowing you, it wouldn't hurt to eat together." As he continued to speak, he stuck a thumb out of his right hand before he pointed it at the 'Break' building behind him.

"I have a condition, however."

Sona furrowed her brows in confusion. "_Such as...?_"

"If you bring your ethwahl," Mordekaiser stated, "then I shall allow you to eat dinner with me. Now, is it a deal?"

The Maven of Strings thought about it; if she had not known Mordekaiser earlier, then she might have seen his intentions suspiciously. She would have instantly declined, her care for the ethwahl being tremendous. Sona would have declined the deal without any hesitation.

But Sona trusted Mordekaiser- the Master of Metal, the Shadow Isles Champion, the Iron Man. She had a growing fondness for the unexpectedly tame Shadow Isles denizen (as a friend, of course), and she did not want to miss a chance to get closer with him.

So she nodded, her cheeks flushed due to the accomplishment she felt. Sona lightly bowed to Mordekaiser before she told him with a heartmelting smile,

"_Okay, Lord Mordekaiser._"

Mordekaiser grunted in approval, happy that he found a chance to hear the maven's excellent music. Despite her smile being beautiful enough to make many men kneel before her, the Master of Metal was not affected- such emotions were things he did not have yet. Jarvan, on the other hand, cracked his knuckles with a massive nosebleed. "Mordekaiser...!" Garen sighed, shrugging as he attempted to calm the prince down. "Look, I know that you're really fond and worried for her safety, but Mordekaiser is- surprisingly, very unlikely to take advantage of her."

The Prince of Demacia raised an eyebrow, glaring at the Master of Metal, before he muttered under his breath, "I shall drown him with five thousand Health Potions should he ever lay a finger on her."

"That," Xin Zhao commented, "was the most random threat that ever came out of your mouth right now." Shyvana and Lux agreed, though the Half-Dragon seemed more worried about Jarvan's fondness for the Maven of Strings.

Stretching his back, the iron man waved the blue-haired lady off as he told her, "Well then; we shall be meeting at seven o' clock. Be comfortable, and bring what you want to bring. No horses, though." As Mordekaiser began to head to somewhere around the beach, Sona silently nodded before returning to the 'Break', happy with her answers- especially her last one. While the two left the scene, Jarvan IV raised a trembling fist in the air, gritting his teeth in anger as he watched Sona delicately walking away.

"That tin can just signed his death wish," Jarvan said with an ever-growing fuel of rage. Garen nervously chuckled as he patted the prince's shoulder. "Uh," the Might of Demacia said to his angry leader, "let's not try doing anything drastic. And Lady Sona probably won't be stopping herself from meeting Mordekaiser."

Jarvan sighed, worried and confused about Sona's intentions. Just when he was about to sulk in disappointment, he felt a volleyball smash into his face. The Prince of Demacia fell to the ground, baffling every Demacian around him. Taking out a wooden stick, Xin Zhao wildly whirled around as he screamed, "_Who hit the prince?! Who hit the prince?!_"

Meanwhile, Kha'Zix wondered where his volleyball went.

* * *

"_This is it, Hecarim,_" Mordekaiser roared as he thrust a hand out, "_I've had enough of your games of betrayal and traitorous acts!_"

Hecarim cackled, enjoying the situation just as the iron man did. He screamed back with a fierce voice, "_Ha ha ha! I'd like to see you try!_"_  
_

Mordekaiser slid a small chess piece towards one of Hecarim's. With the queen, he flicked the Shadow of War's king off of the table as he muttered, "Checkmate."

Hecarim dramatically slapped his face with both of his hands before fainting on the table, his mind blown from anger and annoyance.

The two Shadow Isles champions had been wasting their times by playing games at the arcade. After a playing spree through the digital game collections, they had decided to play the more 'classic' ones. Everything was good for the two champions- except for Battleship. For some reason, they liked to destroy the game boards to make the experience more "realistic."

"_Dang it,_" Hecarim muttered as he sat back up, "this is why I hate chess- your so-called _warriors_ dumbly stand still until the _other_ stupid fighters do something."

Mordekaiser chuckled as he leaned back on his chair. "Well, this certainly gave me a better experience than Checkers did. I have no idea as to what the purpose of that game is."

"Tell me about it," the Shadow of War agreed, nodding his head, "the _fighters_ in there are way dumber than the Chess warriors. I mean, what kind of idiot decides to move diagonally in a battlefield when he could just move forward? Freakin' Spiderman, I say."

"Shut up."

"I love you too."

The Master of Metal sighed. While the beach certainly had some things to do, he found himself enjoy playing games with his four-legged friend rather than smashing beach balls into the air. And of course, he had arranged a dinner meeting with Sona Buvelle. As Hecarim reset the game board, Mordekaiser muttered as he stared at a clock,

"Two hours left..."

The Horseman looked up from the board. "...for what?"

"Two hours left," Mordekaiser said as he sat up straighter from his chair, "until I get to hear the maven's lovely music."

"Maven?"

Hecarim put up a thoughtful look before he exclaimed, "_Oh yeah!_ Maven of Strings! Wait, you're meeting the maven... for dinner, right?"

"Yes."

"And she's the same lady that plays with that edible wall, right?"

"Ethwahl," the Master of Metal corrected with a raised eyebrow, "you nincompoop."

"Then can I-"

Mordekaiser sighed as he waved the Horseman off in frustration. "No, Hecarim, you cannot join us in the dinner. You _will_ scare her off. I guarantee it."_  
_

The Shadow of War's shoulders slumped in disappointment. He raised a fist as he mumbled, "Fine. Rock, paper-"

Just when the two shoved their hands in front of each, they heard a large rumble come from outside of the building. Mordekaiser and Hecarim felt their faces scrunch up in confusion. The Master of Metal then asked, "Did we just rock the building by doing rock-paper-scissors?"

"I think," Hecarim answered with a darkened expression, "we _did_ just rock the building by doing rock-paper-scissors."

A manly scream answered their question. Mordekaiser and the Horseman found themselves sighing in disappointment. "And here I thought," the iron man muttered, "that something unusual happened."

Shortly after the man's scream emitted across the arcade, a feminine voice shrieked as well.

Mordekaiser and Hecarim bolted up from their seats, darting out of the arcade. As the two ran, they gave each other a suspicious look. The Shadow Isles champions eventually flew out of the 'Break' building, curious as to what kind of situation was going on at the beach.

Mordekaiser felt his jaw drop. "Unholy-"

"-bagels," Hecarim finished for the Master of Metal.

In the sea was a monstrously large creature that looked and _was_ intimidating. The monster had eight legs, two empty yellow eyes, and a head that seemed have some sort of triangle at the very top of it. To explain the monstrosity in a simple way, a giant brown octopus had invaded the beach. The sea creature slowly approached the sandy beach, the champions either running away or fending it off. But vacations had their cons, for most of the fighters lacked real weapons.

Scratching his head, the iron man asked his comrade, "Wait... wait a second. It's just an octopus put in there for some drama, right?"

Hecarim observed the octopus. To him, it was certainly no kraken, for krakens were _much_ bigger than what they were seeing right at the moment. He answered with all of his honesty, "Yeah."

"Then we don't need to do anything about it, and someone like Mercedes would just do something about it. Right?"

"You've gotten really lazy throughout those six months, man."

Mordekaiser kicked Hecarim back into the 'Break' as he bellowed, "_Screw you, I do whatever I want, you stupid horse!_"

When he made sure that the Shadow of War wouldn't be coming back any sooner, the Master of Metal turned back to face the octopus. He didn't want Hecarim doing anything drastic, as the octopus's movement proved to be unpredictable. It moved with a strange pattern to it like any other octopus, but this one was _huge_. And not to mention, but it was swallowing many of the champions that had been spending time at the beach.

While he was observing the sea creature, however, he found one of the giant's tentacles smashing against his durable armor. The Master of Metal flew towards the 'Break,' destroying two concrete walls in the process. He tumbled across the floor of what was _supposed_ to be the lobby room. Hecarim was nowhere in sight.

Mordekaiser stood back on his two feet, grumbling something inaudible. The iron man marched back out of the building, his patience slowly being murdered by his anger. He saw Xin Zhao fall short to the creature by a single swipe of a tentacle.

_This thing is actually stronger than it looks_, the Master of Metal thought as he summoned his mace, _I'll need to be wary of that._

Slowly walking towards the humongous octopus, the iron man twirled his mace with his hands, waiting for the eight-limbed creature to attack him again. The octopus was slightly transparent, which allowed the Master of Metal to see where his fellow champions were stuck in. Everyone inside its belly seemed to have trouble breathing, so if he planned on saving everyone, he needed to act fast. After all, there were no protection spells cast upon them, so the stakes were quite high at this point.

Mordekaiser wondered why things had escalated so quickly. And why things _always_ escalate quickly.

* * *

Riven stood before the gigantic sea creature in front of her. She had her broken sword in hand, her grip on it as tight as ever. She had been watching over a few yordles peacefully playing, only to find them being eaten by some monster. Her expression darkened once the monster took note of her. When the creature swung one of its mighty tentacles at her, the woman avoided it with a majestic jump. She came back down, sword in hand, as one of the octopus's tentacles flew off of its body. The creature shrieked in pain as it began to wildly flail its arms around.

Riven grinned. Yes, she wanted it to feel her anger. After all, who enjoyed seeing their friends being eaten by a monster?

...Well, someone like Thresh might enjoy it, but he was an exception to that question.

Just when she stood back on her feet, however, she sensed something coming behind her. Twirling around, she found herself being hit by another one of the monster's limbs. The Exile quickly recovered by stabbing her sword into the ground during her flight. As she regained her composure, the octopus attacked once more. This time, she successfully retaliated- Riven ducked, raising her sword in the air. She gathered up her ki, focused on strengthening her sword, before she roared. The broken blade was reforged into a massive weapon, and she didn't hesitate to use it. Right when the tentacle came, Riven swung her weapon upwards, slicing it like butter.

The octopus did not take its time to mourn over its loss. It wildly swung all of its limbs at the white-haired fighter, all of which were avoided by her. Just when she landed on her feet, Riven chopped off yet another limb off of the beast, but just when she could attack it again, she saw a limb fly straight towards her. The Exile flew, her body slamming against a nearby tree. She gritted her teeth in pain, her body refusing to move any further. What kind of vacation was this? Her friends were falling to some simple-minded animal- quite ironic, considering that they were able to slay legendary monsters.

Riven looked up. She found the monster preparing to launch yet another attack. The white-haired warrior knelt on one knee, forcing herself to move quickly. It seemed that the blow the beast had dealt made her body feel numb. Just when the giant sent another tentacle at Riven, who had lost hope in saving herself, a single thought entered the Exile's mind.

_I am not going to die. Not like this._

Riven took a deep breath. Yes, she would somehow endure all of the monster's attacks. She would save her fellow champions and the League from crumbling because of some stupid octopus. Her grip on her sword tightened, the Exile mustered up all of her strength in carrying her weapon with both hands, ready to give the sea monster a piece of her mind.

But the attack never came.

What was supposed to be another meal turned out to be punishment dealt by an unseen threat to the octopus. It shrieked when a large object tore through its fourth limb. Dumbfounded, Riven found herself staring at the sea monster being assaulted by a barrage of metallic shards. The beast's surprisingly tough skin allowed it to avoid the storm without further losses, but it was enraged due to the abrupt interruption that occurred. Making a deep, bellowing growl, it turned to where the object came from.

A large, steel morning star smashed itself into the beast's right eye.

As the octopus screeched, the mace flew back to its owner- someone that Riven didn't expect to see at the beach.

"Hmph," Mordekaiser grumbled as he wiped the blood of the beast off of his weapon, "two days at the beach, and things get messy for no real reason. Might as well start bringing my loyal soldiers from Shadow Isles if this keeps up."

Riven gaped at the Master of Metal, who slowly approached her. When he came at a close distance, Mordekaiser pointed his mace at the Exile. "I'm going to make this octopus my dinner, so get out of here." When the white-haired warrior didn't move, he tilted his head as he grunted in annoyance, "Are you deaf? I told you to get moving."

The Exile blinked several times before she got up; or, so she tried. She fell on a knee, unable to stand from the impact she had received. Mordekaiser rolled his eyes before he grabbed the female champion by her waist with one hand. He walked over a nearby tree before he tossed the girl behind it. "Don't move," Mordekaiser commanded with a stern tone. And with that said, he left the flabbergasted Riven, who simply sat near the tree.

The Master of Metal walked over the oversized octopus that was before him. It gave him a death glare that expressed its hostility, but the iron man was unfazed. With his mace in hand, he prepared himself with a battle stance, eyes glowing in excitement. This was not a battle in the Summoner's Rift; this was a battle in the cruel world known as Runeterra. He didn't expect something so treacherous to invade the beach so quickly, so devastatingly, but at the same time, he enjoyed the beast's presence. It gave him something to do good at, and what he specialized in.

Pain.

The sea monster roared as it sent one of its remaining tentacles at Mordekaiser, who lept over the attack ever so swiftly. Before its limb could move away from him, he thrust his morning star into the tentacle. As the mace penetrated the flesh of the limb like a sharp nail, Mordekaiser held onto the leg of the beast. The enteroctopus flailed its tentacles wildly, attempting to fling the iron man off of itself. The Master of Metal refused to let go. Just when the giant swung its tentacle towards the skies, Mordekaiser finally pulled his weapon out, flying towards the air. Getting a better grip on his mace, the iron man looked back down from the skies with his weapon readied. He fell back down like a meteorite that did not care about how big its impact would be.

And, with a powerful jab, he stabbed the head of the octopus with his morning star.

The creature shrieked once more as it attempted to search for the source of its pain. While the iron man held onto his mace, however, he noticed something green latched onto the octopus as well. Turning his head in curiosity, he found a familiar friend of his hanging onto his dear life.

"_Thresh,_" Mordekaiser screamed in both confusion and anger, "_what the **heck** are you doing__ here?!_"

The Chain Warden cackled maniacally, happy to find one of his best friends to reunite with him. "_Mordekaiser! What the **heck** are you doing__ here?!_"

"_I dunno, how about you answer my question first! I thought you left with Karthus and Yorick?!_"

Thresh put up a thoughtful look, quickly forgetting that he was in a dangerous situation. "Well..."

* * *

_A day ago..._

* * *

_"So," Thresh asked as he constantly tapped his lantern out of impatience, "how long 'till we get there?"_

_Karthus rolled his eyes as he turned to face the Chain Warden for the seventeenth time, "Thresh, when I say 'a few more hours,' it's not 'a few more minutes.' Zip it."  
_

_"Sheesh, and you thought Runeterra was supposed to be a small world..."_

_The two bickered among themselves, Yorick rowing the small boat. They had escaped the cruiser with their plans made beforehand, but so far, Thresh regretted jumping onboard Yorick's wooden boat. He never stopped moving in it, causing the boat to shake violently once in a while. An hour had passed, and the Chain Warden knew that he'd go insane at any point- well, more insane than he was right now._

_"Holy freaking crap," Thresh complained, "could this thing move any slower?"_

_Karthus sarcastically asked the Warden, "Thresh, would you like me to tell you the tale of the Man who Counted Sheep?"_

_"You told me that blasted tale like... one hundred times or something."_

_"Once, to be more exact."_

_Thresh clutched his head as he screamed, "That's it! I can't take it anymore! I'm jumping off board."_

_The Deathsinger told him, unenthusiastic with his very presence, "Then jump."_

_"Okay."_

_And so Thresh fell off the boat, disappearing in the water. For the rest of the trip, Karthus and Yorick had several peaceful conversations, admiring the seas once in a while._

* * *

"...So," Mordekaiser asked, confused by the flashback, "they ditched you?"

"I ditched them."

"No, I'm pretty sure they ditched you."

Thresh sighed as he admitted, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

The Master of Metal rolled his eyes before he asked the Chain Warden, "Any ideas on how to kill this freakin' thing?"

The green Shadow Isles champion pointed at an orange piece of flesh near them. It glowed violently, so it was hard to miss it. "I think that's its weak point."

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's kill this blasted thing."

Mordekaiser and Thresh stood up, their weapons pulled off of the head. The two made a run for the small, glowing piece of flesh in front of them. But the enteroctopus did not want to fall so easily. With a mighty swing, it grabbed the Chain Warden with one of its tentacles. Mordekaiser barely dodged the attack with an evasive roll.

"Aw _man,_" Thresh screamed as he struggled within the beast's grasp, "I _knew_ I shouldn't have visited Japan-"

"_Thresh, if you're gonna die, then you might as well die with your mouth shut! You'll get more fans that way,_" Mordekaiser shouted at the Chain Warden, who was being brought to the mouth of the sea monster._**  
**_

"No! I ain't... gonna... die here!"

Surprisingly enough, Thresh tore himself out of the grip of the octopus, tearing a tentacle of the octopus with his hook in the process. Amazed by his own achievement, the Chain Warden latched his chain hook onto the head of the octopus. He flew towards the beach as he screamed with joy, "I'm alive! I'm alive!"

Shortly after his epic comeback, Thresh crashed into a tree, fainting incredibly quickly.

Mordekaiser sighed deeply, unamused at Thresh's enthusiastic antics. When the soft flesh was within a close distance, the iron man did not hesitate on smashing it with his mace.

The octopus froze deathly still. And then it screeched its final cry, infuriated that it fell short to something much smaller than itself. Glowing a sickly white color, the enteroctopus burst into a large flood of blue goo. All of the champions that was eaten by it fell on the sandy beach without any injuries; none of them were conscious. But unlike the rest of the champions, Mordekaiser found himself deep inside the sea, falling ever so slowly. His vision faded ever so slightly, his mind becoming emptier than a cherubim watching over a sacred temple. He saw the light vanish above him as he felt the sandy surface of the sea collide against his back.

_...I really don't feel like moving,_ the iron man thought to himself.

And so, he closed his eyes. The Master of Metal rested deep within the waters of the ocean, forgetting about everything that had happened. He had two more hours until his dinner meeting, so what gives?

* * *

Eventually, Riven was hailed as the champions' savior. They celebrated by holding a large feast at the beach, with the remaining pieces of the octopus as the main course. None of the champions seemed to realize that they were in a life-threatening situation, though it certainly wasn't the first time something drastic happened. The shock they had experienced from the sea monster's ambush quickly turned into a feisty emotion filled with joy once more.

Mordekaiser had his dinner with Sona. Much to his happiness, the Maven of Strings brought her ethwahl with her, allowing him to enjoy her delicate tunes. Sona was equally happy, for she had finally spent some proper time with the Master of Metal. The night quickly passed by, the day of departure arriving faster than the tide of a furious wave.

The Master of Metal packed his things up as champions passed by him, all who headed for the cruiser that had returned. He made sure not to forget anything, though some items were a little too big for him to bring with him, so he just destroyed them. Looking around where his parasol had once been at, the iron man nodded in approval, happy with his work. It looked as if nothing touched the sand before him.

Just when Mordekaiser turned to leave the island as well, however, something struck his mind. He turned back, placing an ice box on the sandy beach, before he climbed up a tree. At the very top of the gargantuan plant was the same mermaid he had found at the first night. The Marai had somehow taken hold of a small fruit, which explained how it had survived from starvation. Mordekaiser sighed in relief as he looked at the female nibble on the orange fruit. Knowing that the beach had no safe place for her, the iron man plucked the mermaid off of the tree as he slid back down to the beach.

And with that, Mordekaiser's business with the vacation came to a short end.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**Sorry for the delay, but this was a massive chapter. I broke my 10k word record, some business came up outside of fanfiction, and my typing skills failed me in terms of speed.**

**I had to rush and end the chapter quickly because I lost motivation for the entire 'beach' chapter. Not only was it excessively long, but I want this fic to proceed with the Rift matches and stuff again. So for those of you who yearned to have some blood be shed, stay tuned for the next chapter. It's got plentiful of it.**

**I've also gotten some ideas for a new fic. That's also a reason why I stared at the screen going 'omg maybe i should try this OH WAIT WHY AM I NOT TYPING'.**

**Speaking of blood being shed...**

**Next chapter: "Morde' VS. Wild!"**


	14. Morde' VS Wild!

**Warning: This chapter is not dramatic.**

* * *

Mordekaiser sat on his sofa, staring at the shining screen of his television set. He constantly mashed the buttons on his GameMace device, hack and slashing his way through an army of paladins. The Master of Metal's body had recovered faster than he had expected, so spending his time productively before a Rift match was the best decision- for him, at least. Mixed emotions flowed within the iron man's head due to the recent events at the beach.

The one that worried him the most involved the mermaid he had found earlier.

The mentioned Marai squirmed on a dining chair at the kitchen. Mordekaiser had lazily taken care of her for one day, and he already felt the pain of nursing something incapable of talking. He ignored the quiet cries of the feminine creature that crawled behind his back. The Master of Metal continued to play his video game, enjoying the pain he saw within the paladins' pixelated eyes-

"_Guarghhhhh!_ I need to do something about that freaking creature!"

Mordekaiser paused the game before he tossed his controller on the sofa. He stormed over to the kitchen, grumbling something inaudible, before he looked at the Marai in the eyes. She stared back without blinking for ten seconds, which thoroughly crept him out. Eyes twitching, Mordekaiser asked the mermaid, "You hungry or somethin'...?!"

The Marai continued to stare at him. She broke the record she made the day before- she blinked after thirty seconds of keeping her eyes open.

The Master of Metal sighed deeply. Were there any mermaids around that could help him out?

…

But being the dunce he was, he couldn't think of anyone. Picking the Marai up, he marched over to leave his dormitory. He heard a door open behind him, which was quickly followed by a question made by a curious Piltover Enforcer,

"Where ya' goin'?"

Mordekaiser grumpily answered,

"My lawyer."

* * *

"...So," an amused Mercedes asked with his eyebrows raised, "you caught some fish that happened to look like Nami?"

"Who's Nami?"

Mercedes whacked a rotten burrito on Mordekaiser's head. "No," the iron man screamed in agony, "rotten burritos- my only weakness!"

The Master of Metal had brought the Marai all the way to Mercedes's office, which was located within the middle of the Institute itself. In fact, his office was built within the Justified Congress; a large, marble building that held most of the Institute's most important figures. Being one of the few high summoners that was around, he was considered to be a vital part of the Institute. His knowledge and wisdom was far greater than some of the officials. The casual attitude he had around Mordekaiser, however, was far different than his sophisticated one.

Mercedes sighed as he leaned back on his leather chair. He placed the rubik's cube he had been holding for some time on his wide table. "Mordekaiser," the high summoner said with a serious voice, "you _did_ meet Nami several times, right? The Tidecaller? Does that ring a bell to you?"

The Master of Metal contemplated deeply. Now that he thought about it, he _did_ meet her. Only twice: once at the Summoner's Rift, the second encounter which had occurred when he was protecting Garen Crownguard from a tidal wave of women.

"I met the mermaid-"

"Nami," Mercedes corrected for the iron man.

"...Nami... but the two seem to be quite... different in both personality and common sense. Are the two really part of the same species?"

The summoner scratched his head, deep in thought. "Well, I'm not sure. Though they seriously look the same. I mean, like, don't they look like twin sisters?"

Mordekaiser looked at the mermaid mindlessly spinning around the floor. He looked back up before he asked,

"This brainless fish looks like it wants some fish food. Does this _Nami_ make those kinds of faces too?"

Mercedes sighed. "Look, man. I dunno about you, but I'm pretty sure that they're in the same species. What _I'm_ curious about is how she's even breathing _like_ the Tidecaller."

Mordekaiser leaned back when the summoner leaned forward. Mercedes continued sharing what was on his mind, "Here's my theory; this... _Marai_, as we speculate, has a special case like _our_ Marai. But unlike Nami, she seems to lack proper knowledge about her surroundings. Whoever she is, she lacked training."

"You totally sound like Udyr right now."

Mercedes tossed his rotten burrito at Mordekaiser's face.

"What we could do about this mermaid is leave her to the Institute. She could learn more on how to live, and we could learn more about her. The only problem to that is how much stress she'd have to endure throughout the many years of hospitality."

The Master of Metal nodded in agreement, letting the burrito fall on the floor. "Then I guess we should send her-"

"Therefore, she's in your hands now. Have fun."

"Okey dokey- _**WAIT A SECOND!**_"

Mordekaiser slammed a clenched fist on Mercedes's table. Eyes glowing in both surprise and anger, he asked the summoner, "Whaddya mean she's _in my hands_ now?! I came here to get rid of her, not collect tips on how to babysit something that can't walk!"

Mercedes raised his hands in defense as he said in retaliation, "Look, if Nami could move, then this girl could crawl. Or something. I don't know what to do with her honestly. But what I do know is that if you leave her in the Institute's hands, then they'll do more than just take care of her. They might look through her entire body, or worse, start doing experiments on her. There _are_ some officials out there that just don't deserve their place, y'know."

At this, the iron man fell silent. His friend was right- who knew what they might do to something so valuable? The Marai might've been worth more than just millions of gold. She was great research material, and Mordekaiser took her for that purpose. It would be a waste to just send her off to some idiots he despised anyhow.

The Master of Metal leaned over, his arm supporting his weight as he asked the summoner, "You better start moving when I ask for your cooperation."

Mercedes felt a wild grin replace the frown he wore earlier. "Deal."

With the issue taken care of, Mordekaiser stood up from the chair he was sitting on. Just when he began to head out of the office, he heard Mercedes call out to him,

"Oh yeah, and you've got a Rift match today, right?"

…

…

…

_I HAVE A RIFT MATCH TODAY?!_

The high summoner cheerfully said to the iron man, "Have fun at the jungle! You're gonna have to use some brains for the ganking."

Mordekaiser deadpanned.

"Don't get too angry, ya?"

Grabbing the mermaid by her tail, the Master of Metal raced back to the Champions' Break. It only took him three minutes to get there due to the panic he felt within him. When he arrived at his dormitory, he slammed open the door. The iron man left the Marai on his sofa with two hamburgers he had bought just a day ago. Mordekaiser left his dormitory again, shutting the door behind him, before he screamed,

"_**WHY AM I GOING JUUUUNGLEEEEEEEE?!**_"

* * *

_Forty minutes later..._

* * *

Margaret Clementine walked over to the Battle Quarters with three books in her hand. Today was another day for her to cooperate with the champion she idolized so much. The girl had finally managed to cross the 'twelfth-level barrier' that annoyed Mordekaiser so much, which pleased her very much. She, however, did not feel nervous. No, not at all.

She felt _painfully nervous._

Clementine had not met Mordekaiser for a long time. She did not summon him solely because of her level, and she never met him at the beach. After all, she was stuck inside the 'Break' at the second day until some 'important' news of Riven obliterating something had arrived. She still had to thank Mercedes for making her skip the public summoner training session.

The orange-haired girl entered the Battle Quarters, heading directly to where Mordekaiser would be. Searching for the third room at the Blue Team's hallway, she stiffened when she found the door slightly open. Clementine shyly opened the door...

...before being dragged in by an infuriated Master of Metal.

Mordekaiser kicked the door, shutting it tightly, before he growled at Clementine in confusion,

"_Why... am I going to the jungle?_"

Margaret prevented herself from screaming for help. In an attempt to cool his temper, the summoner managed to squeak out, "S-Sorry! The summoners I was paired up with... they... they didn't exactly cooperate at the draft session... so I, uh... so I-"

Mordekaiser's eyes glowed violently as he asked, "What was the pick order?"

"S-Second. I was second. But some person called for the middle lane, so... so I..."

"Listen, you naïve girl. When the Institute decides to make your team go through the Draft Pick session, it's not about _call order._ It's about _pick order._"

Clementine blinked. "P-Pick order?"

"_Pick. Order._ Don't listen to the uneducated idiots that say it's all about call order- it's about Pick Order, and everyone who's smart will respect the concept. You pick based one what you're _good at_ and what's _available_. For example, if you're good at fighting in the middle and bottom lane, and you're second on the pick order, you _take middle or bottom lane._ It would've been a different situation if you were _third_ on the calling session."

Mordekaiser leaned closer to the summoner, doing his best to prevent his boiling rage from burning the fragile girl in front of him.

"_Got it?_"

Clementine nodded quickly. With a heavy sigh, the Master of Metal used his power to cause metallic shards to form around him. He sent the pieces into one area, creating a makeshift throne. His summoner's interest sparked at the creation of the object. Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow as he asked the girl, "What; you want to sit here?"

The frail summoner twitched like a thief getting caught in a crime. She blinked several times, her cheeks puffed, before she admitted, "Yes."

The Master of Metal rolled his eyes as he sat on the throne. Using his ability to create steel objects, he made another throne for his summoner to sit on. "Don't do anything funny to it," he said with a hesitant look. Clementine smiled widely, forgetting the fear she had felt a few seconds ago, as she made a small hop to the wide chair. When she plopped onto the seat, the girl made herself comfortable.

Mordekaiser noticed that Clementine had been carrying several books. Squinting, he read the title of one of the books.

_Jungling: Its Benefits, Strategies, and Outcomes._

The Master of Metal grinned. It was a book written by Mercedes in his earlier days. He remembered a time when he needed to jungle with the man, who went so far to make an entire book for the iron man to read. The high summoner (who was a rookie like any other in the past) gave Mordekaiser a gist of how much responsibility a Jungler had. And today, he was going to be either a burden or a great addition to the team.

"I see that you've gone for the old man, eh," Mordekaiser chuckled. The coy summoner looked down at her book before shrinking in place. "Y-Yes. He's nice and informative about many things, so I figured that I needed to visit him first."

The iron man gave her a confused look. "Why would you go to _Mercedes_ first? He should always be the last on any list. And his stuff could get pretty complex sometimes."

Clementine uncomfortably shifted on her seat as the Master of Metal continued, "If I were you, I'd just ask my acquaintances for good information. You could also threaten your local library with fire; that was my favorite method at one point."

When Mordekaiser stopped speaking, silence immediately took over the room. Her hair hung over her face, Clementine quietly told her champion,

"I... think I'm being abandoned..."

The Master of Metal stiffened. _Abandonment,_ the iron man thought with surprise written on his face. _Wow, this girl must of have it hard... what's **abandonment**__, anyway? I'm pretty sure Nidalee had that problem as well... if I remembered correctly, that is._

The petite girl did not look up from the ground. After struggling to find her courage to speak again, the summoner continued, "I-I'm... a little antisocial. And a little... weak. Y-Yes, I'm... very weak. But... my friends are starting to get busier. And, u-uh, they've been disappearing ever since I hit my twelfth level. S-Since I cannot socialize properly either, t-the girls liked to make 'predictions' as to why I'm being left alone."

Mordekaiser had his ears open. He figured that Clementine would've been respected for being Mercedes's favorite pupil. Then he realized that status wasn't everything.

_Yeah... status really isn't anything. Especially if your Chain Wardens begin to call you "Megatron."_

"I'm too busy studying and participating in the League at the same time. And... I don't have time to talk outside of the League matches. I-I understand why the others see me as... aloof, I guess. Maybe my f-friends are somewhere else. With people. P-People... p..."

Then the summoner fell silent. Time continued to tick by, but not inside the room. Everything was quiet, and nothing moved. No sound could be heard other than the loud chatters of people conversing outside of the room. Mordekaiser closed his eyes, deep in thought.

_...Crap, I can't think of anything,_ thought the iron man. Disappointed with his failure to think of something cool, the Master of Metal looked up at Clementine. The summoner did not move from her seat. Troubled by the incoming match and his summoner in sorrow, Mordekaiser thought harder to find a solution. Then he realized what he could do.

The iron man stood up from his throne, catching Clementine's attention. When the frail girl looked up at him, the Master of Metal roughly put his hands on her shoulders. Eyes glowing in determination, Mordekaiser thought to himself, _Crapcrapcrapcrap! Crap crap crap! I feel like I need to say something right now, but honestly, I went through so many tragic incidents... that I don't give a sh#&! ...Wait a second, I **do** need to give a crap about this, right? For old man Mercedes, right?! Ugh, think, Mordekaiser, think!_

When the orange-haired girl blinked, Mordekaiser let go of her shoulders. He closed his eyes for exactly two seconds before jerking them open again. Thrusting his arms to the air, the Master of Metal roared,

"_**GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!**_"

Clementine jumped on her seat, taken aback by the iron man's sudden outburst. Mordekaiser grabbed her shoulders once more before he wildly blurted out,

"_Summoner!_ I don't know why you people hang around with gossipers alike, and I have no clue about what the word _society_ means. But let me tell you with all of my honesty!"

The Master of Metal took a deep breath... before shouting at the girl's face,

"_Society fails hard! Brush past those silly fools with a mace in your hand, and if they dare slap you in the face, then **TEAR THEIR EYES OUT!** People think you're out of place? Look at **Jarvan**, for Vilemaw's sake! That bub is weirder than the sun, so **no one likes him**! Regardless of what happens, he marches on dumbly, and being stupid is good in some aspects!_"

The summoner's lips trembled as she barely managed to stutter out, "B-But... d-doesn't he h-have friends...? L-Like you...?"

"Ah."

Mordekaiser froze as he stared off into space. He was taken aback due to the fact that was stated by Clementine.

...then the iron man told himself, "...wait_- I'm not his friend! Like I give a rat's a**#%** about his flagpoles!_"

"Listen, Clementine," Mordekaiser continued with an unreasonably loud voice, "if there's something to be worried about, then it's the _League match!_ We're gonna be jungling soon; don't give a living crap about those who dare to ignore and... 'abandon'... you. Oh, so they want to worry you with departures? Put on some duct tape armor for your pride and ignore them to kingdom come! Got people who're bothering you to death? Get Mercedes. Or someone you _know _that has _power_."

The Master of Metal leaned over, his teeth clenched tightly, as he told his summoner,

"You're strong. Admit it, or you'll really be as stupid as they make you out to be."

Mordekaiser had unconsciously made his throne disappear into thin air while he stood. Clementine nodded, some of the life she had entering her eyes again, as she stood up from her seat. The summoner quietly headed for the door, allowing the iron man to sigh in relief. Before she left the room, however, the summoner found herself turn before she asked, "L-Lord Mordekaiser!"

"Hmm? What is it," asked the Master of Metal.

"Can... can you teach me how... to be a little more like y-you after the match...?"

The iron man chuckled, which made the orange-haired summoner tilt her head in confusion. With a wide, devilish grin, Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal, turned the hand he pointed at Clementine with into a clenched fist,

"Win this battle... win this battle somehow, and I shall teach you how to be like the great Mordekaiser of Shadow Isles."

The young summoner froze at this. Shortly afterwards, the girl found herself smiling incredibly brightly as well. With a quick nod, she chirped back,

"O-Okay!"

* * *

At the Summoner's Rift, Mordekaiser found himself standing in the middle of the blue team's respawn point. He grinned, feeling a new-found adrenaline flowing through his body. The iron man felt as if he were facing an old foe after many years of training. This time, he wouldn't get his wraiths taken by the enemy Jungler early game. With some expectations filling the gaps of his motivation, Mordekaiser turned to check who his teammates were.

He turned into a screaming statue when he did so.

_Thresh... Heimerdinger... Akali... Nidalee..._

_...This team is so squishy and **RETARDED...!** And why isn't Nidalee going Jungle?!_

While the frozen iron man stared into empty space, Thresh happy cackled, "_Mordekaiser!_ Why am I appearing so frequently nowadays?"

"Because there needs to be one retarded idiot frequently appearing in a story."

Mordekaiser sighed, buying a Hunter's Machete and a few Health Potions. The Master of Metal headed towards the jungle as he called out to his comrades, "Wolves first. Then the golem buff."

The iron man wondered how he was paired up with such unfitting teammates, but then again, Clementine _did_ mention how uncooperative her fellow summoners were during the draft session. Mordekaiser stood where the wolves would spawn at, with Akali and Thresh by his side. The Fist of Shadow was very silent around the Master of Metal; a typical reaction from someone who faced Mordekaiser so many times in the Rift. Thresh, on the other hand, constantly bickered about how awesome his lantern was.

"Green Lantern? That guy should take a look at _my_ lantern. See how _that_ feels for him."

Mordekaiser rolled his eyes as he mumbled, "This is the fifth time you already mentioned that Free Rantun bub. You might as well-"

While he was talking, however, Thresh felt suspicious of the brush nearby them. Merrily walking towards it, he took out a Sight Ward before tossing straight into the brush.

He found Garen, Master Yi, and Jarvan IV, all three who were mindlessly talking with one another. One of the Chain Warden's eyes twitched as he backed away from the bush. He was freaked out by how the three _didn't_ notice the loud noise of a ward being placed.

_They're not call brawnboxes for no reason,_ thought Thresh.

Mordekaiser felt sweat trickle underneath his armor. Walking over the brush, the Master of Metal stared at the three enemies who were quite busy at talking. Raising a hand, Mordekaiser used his Siphon of Destruction to catch the foes off guard. "Oh crap," the Prince of Demacia shouted as he ran away, "that's our signal! Go for it, Yi!"

The Wuju Bladesman nodded... before disappearing. Thresh latched his hook on Garen, but thanks to the heavy armor he wore, the Might of Demacia simply shrugged it off. Akali tossed one of her kamas straight at the Demacian's back, though nothing seemed to stop him from running away. Mordekaiser sighed as he saw the fleeing Demacians. He missed a good chance to get First Blood, but his blue buff was safe. The Master of Metal walked straight towards where the golems would be, now uninterested in the wolves-

…

"...The golems..."

Akali felt her jaw hang loosely. Thresh scratched his head in confusion. Mordekaiser smashed his own face with a mace.

Master Yi had taken his blue buff. The three chasing the two Demacians were all part of his plan. Due to how dense the Master of Metal was, however, he decided to ask his fellow Shadow Isles buddy in a 'compassionate' voice,

"_Where is the golem buff...?_"

Thresh tilted his head, staring deep into the Master of Metal's soul as he said through clenched teeth, "_The humans have taken it!_" At this, Mordekaiser shook his head in disapproval as he angrily whispered back,

"_You have failed me for the last time, Chain Warden... **get them!**_"

"Uh," Akali asked as she raised a hand to catch the two's attentions, "I don't think it's time for you guys to be making Transformers references right now..."

Thresh went into the enemy's jungle with all of the speed he could muster up. Mordekaiser and Akali simply stood there, waiting to see what would happen next. After a few seconds passed, the Chain Warden came back with six cards stuck on his face and some bruises.

"_Lord Megatron,_" Thresh announced as he barely managed to walk, "_the humans have taken the other buff as well._"

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh, well, that's bad- _wait,_ _how the heck are you still alive right now?! And __**don't call me 'Megatron!'**_"

The demented Warden took out his last Health Potion as he cackled, "_Potions!_ They save more lives than wards could. Freakin' potions, man. Also, their Garen got Smite. Surrender at twenty."

"Dang," Mordekaiser muttered as he looked around with a dramatic expression, "is there anything we could do anymore?"

Akali grit her teeth as she growled, "How about we start _moving?!_"

Right when the Chain Warden tried to say something, a voice from the skies stated,

"_Your turret has been destroyed!_"

"_**HOLY CRAP,**_" Thresh screamed as he put his hands on his head in realization, "_**I FORGOT ABOUT MY LANE.**_"

Mordekaiser punched Thresh in the face, sending the Warden through the forest as he shouted, "_**IT'S LANING TIME FOR YOU, THEN!**_"

As the Shadow Isles denizen hastily left the forest, Akali looked up to Mordekaiser before she admitted, "Y'know, that actually felt pretty good-"

"_Don't make me mid'._"

* * *

Mordekaiser frantically swung his mace at the wolves in front of him. The beasts, however, were stronger than they looked. Its pack leader clawed at the iron man, who cringed in pure annoyance. With his Mace of Spades activated, he finished off the wolves in one shot.

"There. Now it's time for the wraiths."

While Master Yi was constantly making ganks, the Master of Metal made only one attempt to do so; a failed gank, to boot. He was far behind the Wuju Bladesman, but then again, he was at a disadvantage in every aspect. Mordekaiser twirled his mace in excitement as he met the wraiths, who seemed to be disturbed by his presence. With a single Siphon of Destruction, he caused every of the creatures to begin attacking him.

He constantly used his abilities to keep his armor up in the skirmish. Just when half of the leader's health went down, however, the wraith suddenly died without any warning. Raising an eyebrow, Mordekaiser muttered to himself, "What the heck...?"

He finished off the rest of the wraiths before proceeding to the Elder Lizard. On his way to the monster, he asked Clementine through telepathy, _"Uh, summoner? My wraith just died without any reason. Did something happen?"_

His summoner squeaked, _"I smited it."_

"_You __**WHA**__-"_

Mordekaiser sighed. There was no chance in winning the battle, anyway. Jarvan had gotten twenty-nine kills off of Heimerdinger, Thresh was too busy annoying his summoner, Akali was waiting for anything that entered the middle lane, and Nidalee was having trouble at the bottom lane. As he decided to stay calm, he told his summoner, _"It's alright. Practice is everything. That's what they say, at least."_

Clementine guiltily said to the iron man, _"I... I really didn't mean to do that."_

"_I said it's alright. My word is final. Deal with it."_

Just when he arrived at the Lizard, however, he met a familiar face he wanted to smash in.

"...Ah."

Master Yi stared at Mordekaiser, a devilish expression entering the iron man's face. Raising his mace high in the air, the Master of Metal swung his weapon at the Bladesman with all of his might as he roared, "_Found you!_"

His Mace of Spades was deceivingly useful against the Wuju Bladesman, who was caught off guard. Master Yi immediately turned his attention to Mordekaiser, extremely concerned about his health. He could beat the Master of Metal if he used all of his skills on the Shadow Isles champion. Just when he used his Alpha Strike, however, Mordekaiser suddenly used his Siphon of Destruction, completely missing Master Yi.

"Your skills are inferior," taunted the Wuju Bladesman as he reappeared before Mordekaiser. But just when he began to attack the steel champion, he noticed something; the Lizard Elder was gone. He turned back to see Mordekaiser, who had run away to the other side of the jungle. Giddy with his accomplishment, the Master of Metal laughed, "Hue hue hue hue hue hue hue hue hue. Hue hue hue hue hue hue hue."

As he initiated another battle with his jungle's wolves, he praised himself, "Why am I so awesome?" After clearing the monsters out, he leveled up. With his ultimate ability now up, Mordekaiser's eyes flashed. "Now is the time where I truly shine."

The Master of Metal headed to the bottom lane, where Nidalee fended off two champions at low health: Ashe (the Frost Archer) and Sona (the Maven of Strings). Most of the audience at the Battle Quarters found themselves spectating the women. An obvious reason because they were more aggressive than the men for some reason. Thanks to Thresh going to the top with Heimerdinger, the Beastial Huntress found herself cornered at her turret.

Mordekaiser hid inside the bush closest to the bottom lane in the river. Twirling his mace in hand, the Master of Metal asked Clementine, _"Is the Smite back up?"_

"_Yes. Whenever you are ready, Lord Mordekaiser."_

The Master of Metal grinned. With a fast start, the iron man sprinted towards the unsuspecting enemies with a Mace of Spades at hand. Nidalee saw this as a chance to _recall_ back to her base, retreating as far as possible. Taken by surprise, Ashe used her _Frost Arrow_ to freeze the Master of Metal. Had it been a normal situation, then Mordekaiser would've been pummeled to dust. His summoner, however, had prepared for this. Channeling her mind and energy, Clementine teleported the iron man away from the arrow and towards the Frost Archer. With the summoner spell, _Flash_, finally achieved, both she and Mordekaiser could do more wonders in the Summoner's Rift.

With a mighty swing, the Master of Metal smashed his mace on Ashe, who barely managed to stand on her feet. Sona quickly played her _Crescendo_, freezing Mordekaiser on his tracks. Just when the two feminine champions thought that they had gotten away, the Master of Metal woke up quicker than they had anticipated. He used his _Twin Shadows_ to summon two ghostly figures that chased after the retreating fighters. The collision slowed Ashe and Sona down, allowing Mordekaiser to easily catch up with them.

"_Ha ha ha,"_ an excited iron man shouted with happiness, "_selling those boots for this surely did help a lot!_" When he thought over what he had said, the Master of Metal said to himself, "Wait, doesn't that mean that I was way behind...?"

Mordekaiser used his _Creeping Death_ ability to shroud himself with a lethal cloud of metal shards. He then attacked the two enemy champions with his _Siphon of Destruction,_ depleting much of their remaining health. If one could see his face at this moment, then they'd find themselves looking directly at the smile of Satan. "And here's the final blow," exclaimed Mordekaiser as he activated another _Mace of Spades_.

Just when he was about to attack, however, he felt his mighty foot collide against a deceivingly strong rock. The Master of Metal prevented himself from tripping, but he lost most of his balance. Spinning around as if he were imitating Garen, Mordekaiser attempted to smash Ashe with his mace. The Frost Archer quickly shot a volley of ice arrows at the iron man, who took no damage thanks to his rock-hard armor. Intent on finishing their game of cat-and-mouse, the Master of Metal swung his steel mace once more at the Archer.

He was stopped by Master Yi, who suddenly appeared out of the blue. Literally. With a golem buff at his disposal, the Wuju Bladesman saved the Freljordian champion by taking the blow for her. Mordekaiser's face cringed in annoyance, and he immediately found his next target. After recovering from the powerful attack, Master Yi stylishly swung his blade around him as he muttered,

"This will be... a harsh lesson."

Mordekaiser's grip on his morning star tightened. The iron man angrily growled back,

"So be it..._ Wuju Bladesman_."

Master Yi dashed in with an Alpha Strike, expertly slashing the Master of Metal with his blade. Though he was dealt damage thanks to Ashe's arrows destroying his shield, Mordekaiser had on intentions on standing idly. He prepared another _Mace of Spades_, waiting for the Bladesman to appear. When Master Yi reappeared, blade in hand, the Master of Metal used his _Creeping Death_ on himself before he hit his opponent. Unfazed by the massive damage he received, the Wuju Bladesman sent a barrage of slashes at the iron man.

Mordekaiser refused to fall. With a single _Siphon of Destruction,_ the Master of Metal took out one-fourth of Master Yi's health. Both Mordekaiser and the Wuju Bladesman's fighting styles were completely different, but their extreme powers were clearly displayed in the battle. While the two fought, Sona Buvelle peaked behind a tree. She was waiting for a chance to help Master Yi with her powers, but something was preventing her from moving. Sona didn't know why, but there _was_ something behind her unwillingness to help the Wuju Bladesman. After reassuring herself that everything would go well, the Maven of Strings hurried out of the tree to aid Master Yi.

With a sudden boost of speed, health and motivation, the Wuju Bladesman beamed happily. Preparing another Alpha Strike, Master Yi said to the iron man, "Looks like I win today, Mordekaiser."

The Master of Metal growled at the Bladesman's taunt, but he knew that it was his loss now that Yi's support came in. Raising his mace in a defensive stance, Mordekaiser prepared to retreat if possible.

And then something flew out of the trees. The object latched itself onto Master Yi's neck, silencing the Wuju Bladesman. Seeing this as a chance, Mordekaiser sent another _Siphon of Destruction_ at his incapacitated foe. Preparing a decisive _Mace of Spades_, the Master of Metal swung his morning star and defeated the Wuju Bladesman.

Sona stood in horror. She began to back away from the iron man, but before she could move any further, something behind her caught her attention. Turning swiftly, the Maven of Strings found herself staring directly at none other than Thresh, the Chain Warden. His menacing smile gave her a hint about what he wanted to do- and what he was about to do.

"_Oh yes,_" the Chain Warden reassured the terrified maven, "_it's about to get much worse._"

The Shadow Isles champion roared as he summoned five walls made out of his victims' souls and their agony. Confused on what to do, Sona began to play her strings, attacking the Chain Warden with aggressive tunes. Thresh jumped in (mock-) pain, clutching his stomach as he grumbled, "_Ah, the sweet tones of misery..._"

The Chain Warden stood by, waiting for the Master of Metal to do something. Mordekaiser noticed his comrade's intense stare. Raising an eyebrow, the iron man asked Thresh, "What?"

"Well, aren't you gonna do something?"

"Do what...?"

"You know," the Warden said with certainty in his voice, "_that._"

"...that what?"

"_That._"

Mordekaiser walked up to the Chain Warden. Patting Thresh's shoulder, the Master of Metal asked with a sweet, lovely voice and a kind expression smeared over his face,

"_Thresh, would you like a knuckle sandwich?_"

"_Of course not! Ha ha ha!_"

The two Shadow Isles champions laughed, leaving the Maven of Strings flabbergasted. As Thresh's _Box_ began to disappear, the Chain Warden told the Master of Metal with a bruise on his face, "Y'know, I was talking about that thing you need to do. That... thing. Yeah- _that **thing!**_"

Mordekaiser froze. _Of course._ How could he forget about his discussion with Sona? "Of course... **_that..._**"

Walking up to the Maven of Strings, Mordekaiser placed his hands on the lady's shoulders. Shivering under his grasp, Sona looked up at the Master of Metal. Determination burning within his eyes, Mordekaiser asked the maven,

"Sona, I have thought deeply about this..."

"...but will you become one of my official *waifus?"

…

…

…

...Wait, wha- oh.

(*Waifu – A term mostly used by otakus. It is used in place of 'wife,' mostly to show how much one loves a female character.

*Mordekaiser's Waifu – A term used only by the one and only Master of Metal. It is used in place of 'friend,' mostly because he's embarrassed to say 'friend' in the first place.)

...

Everyone except for Mordekaiser and Sona froze. Jarvan (who was in a nearby brush), Thresh, the audience at the Battle Quarters... everyone. Time flew by as minions mindlessly attacked each other in the Summoner's Rift. After the awkward pause made by everyone's contribution of silence, Thresh broke the quiet atmosphere,

"...Well, I thought that you were trying to invite her to our _Pentakill Legends_ competition, but hey, this sounds _alright!_ And just to let you guys know, but I like pink."

Jarvan ran out of the bush he was in, heading away from the three as he cried out, "_Wuaaaaaaaah! Why does Morde' get all of these unnecessarily juice moments?! I quit this match!_"

Jarvan IV: the Prince of Demacia, the shining hope of Demacia, the man who unified Demacia, the inspiration of many Demacians alike.

Jarvan IV, the man who ran like a wimp.

While Mordekaiser shamelessly blabbered on about how much he wanted to hear Sona's strings that night, Thresh raised an eyebrow as he saw the Demacian prince retreat.

"And why the heck," the Chain Warden muttered with an amused look, "are _you_ the one running away?"

That day, Mordekaiser won by a fluke. And that day, Mercedes spit his coffee when he heard of the news.

* * *

After the League match, Mordekaiser left the Rift with a grin on his face. He had (unfairly) beaten the enemy team as a Jungler. What else could he ask for that day? It was such a good setup for his incoming _Pentakill Legends_ match with Thresh, who was absolutely horrible at the game. He also planned on going to the most dangerous Merry-Go-Round in Runeterra with Hecarim the next day, and if he felt generous enough, maybe spend some time digging graves to help ol' Yorick out.

Yes, he felt top-notch, making him unusually happy.

As he left the Battle Quarters, he saw someone running over to him. It was none other than his summoner.

"H-Hello, Lord Mordekaiser! You w-were indestructible this match!"

Mordekaiser chuckled. "Indeed. You have promising skills as a summoner. I expect to fight in more battles alongside with you."

The Master of Metal flicked the girl's forehead, catching her off guard. "Now," the iron man said, "go tell Mercedes that I'm never going to the jungle again. Unless it's for a quick round of Wraiths."

Clementine nodded as she rubbed her forehead. With a small smile, the orange-haired summoner quietly skipped away, satisfied with her impression on the Master of Metal. Mordekaiser felt some satisfaction in making her feel a little better. After all, her attitude seemed to brighten after the match. She-

_Wait a second, what on Runeterra am I turning into? Captain Demacia?_

The Master of Metal shook his head. Yes, he helped Clementine, the absolutely childish summoner that lacked awesomeness. Hopefully, she would learn how to become awesome like him.

"Well, I still have some time," muttered Mordekaiser after a deep sigh. "Time to decapitate some lifeless paladins with video games."

Meanwhile, Karthus took a crap in a restroom. His first crap in a month. And yes, he was constipated.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**That...was actually an interesting chapter. In return for taking out some pointlessly violent scenes, I think I revived some of the humor this fic had (or maybe improve).**

**The school days have returned! From now on, updates will have stranger release dates. Go read some 100-chapter fan-fictions or something while I'm at it. Durdurdur. And yes, that Marai was _not_ Nami. It's for the plot. -ish. If this fic even has any.**

**Next chapter: "_Live Action!_ Defender of Tomorrow!"**

**Get ready for (by far) the _most_ random chapter I've ever thought of. Don't sue me for being stupid.**


	15. Live-Action! Defender of Tomorrow!

Mordekaiser mashed the buttons on his GameMace controller like usual. With his recent 'jungle' incident out of the way, the Master of Metal found that hobbies were sometimes the best at certain times. Not that he didn't know it before; it's just that his theory was confirmed. After cleaning the room of five dead horses, he played his games nonstop.

Just when he solved a repetitive puzzle that literally took him an hour, he felt something tap his shoulder. He paused the game before he leaned back on his sofa. The iron man found himself facing an amused Piltover Enforcer. "What're you lookin' at," the Master of Metal asked the pink-haired woman.

"Well," Vi admitted with her usual, cocky voice and expression, "it's just kinda amusing, I guess. Seeing this huge tin can playing video games."

Mordekaiser grumbled inaudibly before he resumed playing his video game. The Enforcer lept over the sofa, landing on the steel seat with a 'thud.' She playfully poked the Master of Metal's shoulder as she said with a smirk, "Nice proposal, by the way. Though, the way you said 'wife' sounded a little weird."

The iron man continued to rack up a good score as he replied, "I only had Shadow Isles by my side. Might as well impress an ol' man by becoming a little social. A _little_ social."

"Ha! So doing a proposal is a _little_ social? Yeah right."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow, taking a quick glance at the Enforcer before he mumbled, "Har har, comedy gold. Even the dead horses behave better than you."

Vi pouted, offended by the iron man's remark. She scratched the back of her head before she asked the Master of Metal, "So when's the marriage?"

Mordekaiser froze. After he paused the game, he looked over at Vi before he growled,

"Do I _look_ like I'm gonna be marrying any sooner?"

The Piltover Enforcer stiffened, taken aback by his reaction. She thought that he'd show a more positive reaction to her question. "Huh? Then what about the proposal-"

"_Wai. Fu._ I meant waifu, not wife. The kung-fu waifu, not life wife."

"..."

Vi felt her eyes twitch, baffled by the iron man's comment. The Piltover Enforcer then asked the Master of Metal, disbelief present in her question, "So when you said 'become my wife'... you actually meant 'become my friend?'"

"I told you," Mordekaiser growled before he angrily yelled, "it's _**WAIF-**_"

The Piltover Enforcer punched the Master of Metal straight in the face as she roared, "_**IT'S 'FRIEND,' YOU IDIOT!**_"

While the iron man remained crumpled on the cold floor, the pink-haired Enforcer simply huffed, irritated by the Master of Metal's strange logic. When Mordekaiser stood back up, Vi took something out of her pocket. The iron man squinted, curious as to what the object was, before he asked, "Hmm? What did you take out?"

A grin quickly spread across Vi's face. The Enforcer took out what appeared to be two slips of paper. Each slip had some colorful designs, and the words "_Defender of Tomorrow_" written in golden letters. Mordekaiser stared at the papers with a confused look. "What's this?"

"Jayce," Vi proclaimed with a cocky grin, "gave me some tickets to a live-action show. He's got his own show, and he decided to invite lil' me. Cute guy."

"Uh huh. Why the extra ticket, though? It's not like you could duplicate yourself."

The Piltover Enforcer raised an eyebrow as she asked the iron man, "Bub, you don't have anything to do today... right?"

Mordekaiser made a thoughtful look. After contemplating about his schedule, he looked back at Vi as he answered, "No. Not really, at least."

"You're comin' with me, then," Vi said with a grin, "No one's been accepting my 'proposal,' so I'm not letting you off the hook."

"You wanted friends too?"

That day, Mordekaiser was enlightened by two painful punches.

* * *

"The live-action _Defender of Tomorrow_ show?" Karthus asked as he looked up from his newspaper. "What about it?"

Using his remaining free time for the day, Mordekaiser had gone off to visit Karthus. The Deathsinger was in his dormitory, with Thresh playing video games inside. The Master of Metal told Karthus, "I'd like to know more about this... show."

The iron man's friend sighed before he tossed his newspaper away. The papers hit Thresh, who paid no attention to them; he was too busy to be distracted by the likes of 'paper.'

"Alright, but here's a big warning I'd like to inform you with..."

The Deathsinger leaned towards the Master of Metal, who leaned as well. With a whisper, Karthus said,

"It's _super cheesy._"

Leaning back, the Shadow Isles champion cracked his knuckles. "Now, about the _Defender of Tomorrow_..."

* * *

_Long ago, in a dimension far from our's, the Piltover we knew of was always in constant trouble thanks to criminals that wreck havoc. Banks quickly went bankrupt, illegal activities began to grow common, and life became something to be feared of. The streets of Piltover were quiet... quieter than one could ever imagine-_

* * *

"_Holy crap,_" Mordekaiser muttered as he prevented himself from slamming his face onto a palm, "_is this what I think it is?_"

Karthus shrugged. "Maybe. It's not as bad as _Counting with Lulu_ though. Always hated that crap."

* * *

_But one day, a man stood up for Piltover. Someone armed with wit, charm, and a transforming hammer. Jayce was like no other, and with his trusty sidekicks, Orianna and Blitzcrank, he was an unstoppable force of justice. He allowed the people of Piltover to smile whenever they wanted to- a hero that everyone wanted and loved._

_However, there was always someone that opposed justice. With dozens of evildoers aiming to take down the hero, Jayce was always busy protecting Piltover. A month after his first appearance, the citizens of Piltover recognized him as an icon of a true hero and praised him._

_They called him the Defender of Tomorrow._

* * *

"...and then some television episodes came out, plot unfolds, stuff like that," Karthus nonchalantly said to the horrified Mordekaiser. The Master of Metal growled,

"This isn't an action show. It's a _saturday-night-action-flick-for-kids_ show! And what kind of doofus came up with this story?"

Thresh destroyed the television with the controller he was using before he looked over at his two friends. "I guess," the Chain Warden said with a bored look, "he was _really_ high."

Karthus screamed, "_**STOP BREAKING MY TELEVISION!**_"

"...What? This is only the fourth time I broke it-"

"_**EXACTLY!**_"

Thresh shrugged. He then told Mordekaiser, "By the way, I was invited to that live-action show."

The Master of Metal felt one of his eyes twitch. "And _who_ were you invited by?"

"Pantheon."

"...Why?"

"..."

"..."

Mordekaiser stared at Thresh with an unreadable expression. After staying still for what felt like an eternity, the iron man placed a hand on the Chain Warden's shoulders.

"Good luck."

"I'll need it," Thresh mumbled with regret.

After his pleasant conversation with his two friends, Mordekaiser left the room, satisfied and annoyed by the information he had earned. The Master of Metal did not want to attend in a saturday-night-action flick, but he did see this as a chance to learn more about the entertainment humans enjoyed. He always hated society, so he might as well know what to hate on. With his new information stored in his incredibly dense brain, the iron man headed back to his dormitory. He was on the second floor, meaning that it took him a second less to get to his dorm.

He stood in front of the elevator keypad. Much to his surprise, there were three buttons on it. The Master of Metal did not recall ever seeing the third button before, and it interestingly had the face of Draven on it.

Mordekaiser tore it off the keypad without any hesitation.

Disgusted by the contagious button, the iron man carelessly tossed it into a nearby trash can. "I _seriously_ wonder what he does for a living," Mordekaiser mumbled to himself. He raised a hand, intent on pressing the button with an arrow pointing upward.

But then he felt some sort of curiosity seeping into his mind. What does the Draven button do, and will it cause awesomeness or catastrophe to emerge out of nowhere? The Master of Metal looked back at the trash can with a grim look. Mordekaiser hated to admit it, but he was curious as to what the stupid button could do. The iron man plucked the tiny button out of the empty container. Draven's face was accurately portrayed (much to the Master of Metal's chagrin). He walked back to the keypad before carefully attaching the button back in its place.

He had fixed what had been broken, and now he would have his question answered. With a mighty finger, the iron man smashed the button into the keypad. A few moments after he did so...

...nothing happened.

Mordekaiser tore the button off of the keypad again and threw it back into the trash can. The Master of Metal muttered,

"Dravens are a bad omen."

With his question answered, the iron man raised a hand to press the button that he had wanted to press. Just when his hand touched the button, he felt something brush against his finger. Mordekaiser looked to his side, only to find a familiar Beastial Huntress. The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow as he asked Nidalee, "What're you doing here? You don't usually go around these places, right?"

The slender, dark-haired woman answered like a robot, "I want friends."

"..."

The Master of Metal put an open palm on his face, utterly baffled by her reasoning.

_Wait, wait, Mordekaiser,_ the iron man thought to himself, _maybe she doesn't know how to say 'I made some stupid friends' that well. She couldn't have failed her attempts to get friends, right? And why does she even want friends? And why is she giving me a 'what-am-I-even-doing-here' look?!_

Mordekaiser sighed. After taking a deep breath, the Master of Metal asked the Beastial Huntress, "Nidalee, where are your friends?"

"I don't have any friends."

"Nidalee," Mordekaiser asked, barely keeping the nicest expression he could possibly ever make, "why don't you have any friends?"

"Because I don't have any friends."

The Master of Metal screamed.

* * *

_A few minutes later at Mordekaiser's dormitory..._

* * *

Mordekaiser placed the soda can on his steel sofa as he asked, "So basically, you tried to talk to Jarvan, but he ran away as if there was no tomorrow. You tried to talk to Talon, but he suddenly vanished into thin air, basically meaning that he ran away. You tried to talk to Lulu, and you even tried to talk to Urgot."

"Yes," Nidalee nodded as she sat on the cold floor in front of Mordekaiser.

The Master of Metal sighed. "Nidalee, if _Urgot_ out of all people avoids a conversation, then something is seriously wrong."

"But I want friends."

"Yes, you want friends."

The Beastial Huntress blinked a few times before she asked, "You have friends, right?"

As if on cue, Thresh, the Chain Warden, burst into the dormitory without any warning. He wore a motherload of golden necklaces, along with five baseball caps stacked on his head. The white coolmax t-shirt left an impact on the Beastial Huntress, who stared at the Shadow Isles denizen in horror.

"_Yo, yo, yo,_" Thresh said in a stereotypical gangster accent, "_'ah_ _just watched a video with gangsta's in 'em, so 'ah came foe you, Moedekaiser._"

The Master of Metal rolled his eyes as he replied, "Yeah. It's totally natural of you to burst into my dorm with a stereotypical- _wait, what did you just call me?_"

Thresh interrupted Mordekaiser as he headed over the sofa. "Chill, Morde'. I just figured that seeing what kinds of reactions I'd get with this outfit on would be a cool experience. Speaking of which, that's a nice Nidalee sandbag you've got there."

"...that's Nidalee," the iron man enlightened Thresh with his wise words.

The Chain Warden froze. He then noticed that Nidalee was staring at him, eyes filled with curiosity.

"...Hold on, let me take a deep breath," Thresh said as he proceeded to take a deep breath.

The Shadow Isles prison warden disappeared in a flash, heading out of the dormitory. Silence fell over the two remaining champions, who simply stared at the open door. After a few more seconds of silence, Mordekaiser said, "And that's why you don't have any friends."

Nidalee sighed deeply, frustrated with her situation. "If I can't get friends, then I could try fitting into society. Right?"

"That'll actually be harder."

"Why?"

The Master of Metal shifted on his sofa as he told the Beastial Huntress, "Because you suck for having no friends. And if you suck at making friends, then you'll absolutely fail at fitting into society." Mordekaiser leaned forward as he took out notebook he had been sitting on for the entire conversation.

"You want friends? Well, I want respect. These notes have further instructions on how to make... 'friends'... so try asking me in the most respectful way you could possibly think of."

Nidalee thought carefully. She squinted her eyes, her brain calculating the numerous possible outcomes that could occur in the situation. After contemplating in a short amount of time, the Beastial Huntress told Mordekaiser, her sharp teeth threatening his iron armor,

"Give me."

"Okay."

The Master of Metal shamelessly gave the notes to the Huntress.

* * *

Later that day, Mordekaiser headed over to the live _Defender of Tomorrow_ performance. He had low hopes for the show, but he didn't really have any choice. The iron man had little excuses at his disposal right at the moment. Vi informed him that the performance would begin nearby the Champions' Break, so it was a quick walk.

The Master of Metal spotted a large stage set that was not that far away from the Break building. A large crowd had already formed in the audience, most of them being kids and teenagers alike. The iron man groaned when he realized that he'd be sitting with the loud brats. Attempting to prevent himself from killing everything in sight, Mordekaiser searched for Vi. He saw the Piltover Enforcer having a friendly chat with Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover. The Master of Metal never talked with the marksman that much, but he remembered having some good matches with her.

Just before he could walk into the bumbling crowd, however, his eyes caught something nearby the stage. Nearby the closed curtains, he saw two legs sticking out of the stage at a dark corner. Suspicion quickly overwhelmed the iron man as he took a different route. Instead of walking straight into the crowd to make his presence known, the Master of Metal walked around the entire audience. The large crowd forced him to walk for quite a while. When he arrived nearby the stage, Mordekaiser looked around. No one seemed to notice him, so the Shadow Isles champion casually slipped in behind the curtains. What he saw inside was unexpected.

Behind the curtains, there were three injured people, all who weren't champions, lying on the ground. A man stood in the midst of the stage, a gas-powered pistol in hand. His dyed, short green hair contrasted greatly from the wounded. This hostile person took note of the Master of Metal staring at him. He hastily held the gun up, pointing it at the iron man as he shouted, "Don't move, or I'll shoot!"

Thankfully enough, the microphones were not turned on yet, cutting off the sound between the stage and the crowd outside. A devilish smile spread across Mordekaiser's face. The iron man did not summon his mace, much to the criminal's surprise. _It's times like these,_ the Master of Metal thought with giddiness, _that I absolutely enjoy._

Raising his hands up, Mordekaiser told the man before him, "Fine, then. Let us play a game of quick-draw, shall we?" The criminal begged to differ, as his hands began to tremble from the sheer tightness of his grip on the gun. "I'm warning you," the man yelled, "don't move! I won't let anyone stop me from getting my money! I really need to pay my debt!"

The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow. With a look of confidence, Mordekaiser took one step. True to his word, the criminal fired a bullet at the steel champion. He realized why no one noticed the man's violent actions; he had a silencer on his gun. The iron man expertly scanned the bullet as it quickly closed its distance between the champion. When he found out that the bullet was made of steel, Mordekaiser shot a hand forward as he gathered some of his energy. The bullet stopped at point-blank range.

Flipping the bullet around, the Master of Metal sent it flying towards the criminal's right foot. The man cringed in pain, but he held his grip on the firearm. Mordekaiser finally summoned his morning star as he dashed towards the armed man, who fired two more rounds at him. The iron man easily dodged the attacks before he stylishly slid over to his opponent. His mace coming from below, Mordekaiser smashed the man's stomach, sending him flying to the skies. Surprisingly, no one noticed the shooting star flying out of the stage. When the man came back, the Master of Metal landed one final blow, sending his incompetent enemy far away into an unknown land like a professional baseball player.

"That felt good," the Master of Metal admitted as he made his weapon disappear. Mordekaiser turned around, happy with his deed, only to find himself facing the main actor of the _Defender of Tomorrow._

Jayce had been tending the wounds of the injured. The man clearly had a sense of justice in him, but Mordekaiser cared little about the word "justice." Dusting his hands as if he took care of some housework, the Master of Metal asked, "How're the weaklings doing... _Defender of Tomorrow?_"

The mentioned man grimly shook his head. "Not good; I'm gonna call Shen to take them."

"Shen? He's got a stupid personality, though."

"Maybe so," Jayce said as he took out a hand-crafted cellphone, "but he's still a good man."

Mordekaiser shrugged. He didn't care about what the hero of Piltover had to say; his business here was done, and all he needed to do was leave. "Well, I guess I'll be going. Vi's probably gonna murder me if I stay here any longer."

Just before he could leave, however, he heard Jayce call out for him, "_Wait!_" The iron man rolled his eyes as he turned around. With an annoyed tone in his voice, the Master of Metal asked the Defender of Tomorrow, "_What?_"

Jayce stood up from the floor. All five of the wounded people had vanished; evidence that showed how quickly Shen responded to violence. "Listen," Jayce explained with a concerned look, "those three people were actors for the show. Now that they're gone, this show is going to fall apart if I don't do anything about it! Honestly, I don't trust you, but... do you have any bright ideas?"

Mordekaiser scratched his helmet in deep thought...

...and after a quick moment of thinking, the Master of Metal simply answered, "Nope. Surrender at twenty. Good game. It was nice knowing you."

"C'mon," Jayce grumbled, his patience getting short, "there needs to be a way-... wait... _wait a second..._"

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. Did the Defender finally snap? Looking at the iron man with a reluctant look, Jayce walked up to Mordekaiser before he said, "Mordekaiser."

"What is it," the Master of Metal said as he sarcastically added in, "_Defender of Today?_"

"Are you good at acting?"

"..."

Mordekaiser wondered whether Jayce was high or not.

"What the f- oh sorry, I actually meant to say _**WHAT THE F-**_"

The Defender of Tomorrow explained, "Look, we need substitutes for the show right now. Since all of the hurt actors were supposed to play as villains, I figured that we could get a real villain-"

Mordekaiser quickly interrupted Piltover's favorite hero as he asked, "Oh, so now _I'm_ part of this stupid play? I'm not good at 'LARPing', for your information."

"If you just do as I tell you to, then everything will be smooth. It won't last that long, so can you bear with this?"

The Master of Metal sighed, frustrated with Jayce's persistence. "Alright, I'll just say this- I feel bad for the situation. I really do. I think. But I am _not_ going to go up there acting with cheese oozing out of my body."

The two stared at each other for a while. After a final sigh, Mordekaiser simply grumbled, "You _must_ pay me back afterward."

At this, Jayce smiled, but it quickly faded away. "We still need two more actors. Two more villains."

As if on cue, something fell into the stage with a violent crash. Thresh revealed himself as he stood up in pain. The Chain Warden asked the Defender of Tomorrow as if nothing happened, "You called?"

Mordekaiser blinked, surprised at the Warden's sudden appearance. "How on Valoran did you get here?"

Thresh dusted his armor as he sighed deeply. The Shadow Isles prison warden replied, "Well..."

* * *

_A minute ago..._

* * *

_After thirty-five minutes of playing tic-tac-toe against himself, Thresh headed to the Champions' Break. The Chain Warden had decided that playing solo would never be fun, so he wanted a partner to spend time with. No, not Mordekaiser, because he was obviously close to the iron man. He needed to be closer with someone else other than his Shadow Isles buddies, Draven, and Kha'Zix. Why he was friends with Draven, no one would ever clearly know, but it was rumored that the two pulled off the craziest pranks in the Institute of War. And everyone (except for yordles) loved Kha'Zix one way or another, so the Voidreaver was an exception._

_The Chain Warden found himself standing in front of a cold dormitory. Just by looking at the door, he could feel the chills entering his dead body- literally. After he cracked his knuckles, Thresh knocked on the freezing door with determination in his heart. A few seconds later, the door opened, revealing Ashe, the Frost Archer. She wore a grey t-shirt and blue coolmax shorts._

_Disturbed by the Warden's appearance, Ashe carefully picked her words before she asked, "Umm... what brings you here, Chain Warden?"_

_Thresh suddenly slid into her room, partially fascinated by how cold the room was. Jumping onto the nearest chair he saw, the Shadow Isles denizen casually exclaimed, "Hey, baby! Just here to have some fun. Wanna play Smash Brothers? And this chair is freezin' my anus-"_

_Ashe cringed in both disgust and confusion as she replied, "No. I don't even know what that game is in the first place."_

"_Ugh," Thresh mumbled in disappointment as he lowered his head, "women... never ceasing to disappoint the world. I'm surprised Trynd' even married you. Bet he's disappointed in his life by now. And your face."_

"_Get out of my room," the Frost Archer seethed, her patience slowly starting to fail her. Thresh raised his hands in mock defense as he stood up from the ice chair._

"_No."_

"_Now."_

"_Fine, be that way, you jerk. And why would you not want to play Smash Brothers with me in the first place...?"_

_The Chain Warden left the room, confused as to why Ashe would decline his offer. The Frost Archer, on the other hand, simply glared at the Shadow Isles denizen as he walked away. Just when Thresh took a step out of the dormitory, however, a champion suddenly landed in front of him, leaving a massive crater._

"_**HOLY F$%&, WHAT THE F-**_"

_Pantheon, the Artisan of War, screamed at Thresh, obliterating the Chain Warden's eardrums in the process, "**IT'S TIME TO WATCH SOME A#&-KICKIN'. LET'S GO!**_"

_Thresh felt the fighter grab his hand before he literally flew off of the ground. The Chain Warden screamed for his unlife-_

* * *

"...and that's how I got here," Thresh said in a melancholy manner, "Pantheon sucks at keeping his grip."

Mordekaiser laughed at the Warden, "Ha ha ha!... You suck."

Just when the iron man stopped talking, a certain Artisan of War suddenly entered the stage, landing on Thresh in the process. "I have heard that something went on here," Pantheon said as if he didn't do anything at all, "is it true?"

Jayce grimly nodded. "Three of our actors have been injured by some crazy guy. Mordekaiser had the decency to take care of him, but now we need substitutes."

Thresh stuck his head out of Pantheon's mighty feet as he said, "I could substitute. But I'm still a copyrighted property, so you best not be stealin' me away from Riot-"

Pantheon replied to Jayce's statement, "I have absolutely no experience in acting, but I specialize in the art of fighting. If I can fight, then I will partake in this dire situation."

The Defender of Tomorrow scratched his head, deep in thought. After taking his time to think, he told the three champions, "Okay, so first things first, here are the scripts. Let's try to modify these as fast as we could."

Mordekaiser shook his head in disagreement. "Here, let _me_ edit the stupid scripts."

* * *

Vi was not having a fun day.

Not that she didn't want to see Jayce kicking some family-friendly butts, but she certainly did not want to watch the show by herself. Mordekaiser had told her that he'd be following her thanks to her magnificent skills in socializing, and she was okay with that- it's just that when people _did not_ keep their word, something in Vi snaps. She did not want to be alone in the midst of people she had little interest in.

After glaring at the curtains for a little longer, the Piltover Enforcer angrily ruffled her head as she complained, "_Gah! _Why isn't that trash can here, anyways?!" She definitely didn't expect Mordekaiser out of all people to be late for a meeting. Vi liked fun, and fun meant punching for her. That did not mean that she liked to spend time like a human being at times. She _was_ a human, after all.

Just thinking about her situation made the Enforcer sigh. Yes, Mordekaiser was not going to come to the show and watch it with her. The stage lights were finally brought to life, lighting the bright red curtains...

Meanwhile, Mordekaiser stood in the preparation area, arms crossed. The show had begun, and there was no turning back. Fleeing would mean suffering from indigestion of one-thousand year old burritos, though he could just come back from the dead if he needed to. With the preparations set, the narrator, who was nowhere to be seen, began the introduction sequence.

"_Dimensions away from the world we know, chaos reigned over the lands of Runeterra. Piltover, the country that suffered the most out of them all, was on the brink of total anarchy. The government was overthrown by notorious criminals, and silence ruled the streets. But when all hope seemed to be lost, a man, alongside two trusty sidekicks, appeared out of the blue. With his wit, charm, and transforming hammer, he aims to cleanse Piltover and the other countries from the criminals that dare to stop him. He was..._

_...the Defender of Tomorrow!_"

As the audience loudly cheered, Mordekaiser fell on his knees, completely baffled. With an awestruck face, the Master of Metal said,

"My word... that was the corniest back-story I've ever heard of in this stupid world."

* * *

Perfectly following the script, the curtains gently opened, revealing Jayce sitting in a cafe. He sported a gray trenchcoat, blue jeans, and a white fedora hat as he drank from the coffee set before him. The digital background was shown through a wide monitor, further enhancing the visual quality of the entire show. Mordekaiser had to admit that the visuals were clever; the story wasn't.

Just when Jayce was about to sip from his coffee for the fifth time, a scream came out of nowhere. The Defender of Tomorrow dramatically looked up from his coffee, making Mordekaiser cringe in pure agony. The hero tossed his trench coat aside as he ran out of the stage. When the background changed, Jayce somehow managed to appear from the other side, leaving the audience to ponder on what kind of magic he used. It was all thanks to a particular teleportation gadget he had made before the show began.

When the Defender of Tomorrow arrived at the scene, he met a dangerous-looking villain that wielded a scythe. The four-legged man turned to face Jayce, who was (really) startled by the sight. He wore a torn coat, with two layers of leather clothes underneath it, and his legs seemed to glow orange. But what truly caught the Defender of Tomorrow off guard was the flaming pumpkin the villain wore.

Jayce instantly tore his clothes off, revealing his iconic armor. With a brave shout, the hero asked, "_Who are you?!_"

The Horseman noticed Jayce as he glared at him with eyes that glowed as bright as the flames emitting from the pumpkin. He twirled his scythe around with one hand, his expression slowly turning into a wide smile. With a deep, terrifying voice that echoed across the entire stage, the villain revealed himself.

"_I'm the Muffin Man._"

"..."

The crowd fell silent, wondering if the violent-looking creature was being serious. Vi, on the other hand, was having a mental struggle. The four-legged actor was obviously Hecarim, the Shadow of War, and she had no idea as to why a Shadow Isles denizen like him would act for such a show.

After the Horseman cleared his throat, he said, "_Just kidding. You may call me the Horseshoe- I mean, the __**Headless Horseman**__. I have come to destroy Piltover because they took my oven._"

Jayce felt his eyes twitch as his jaw hung loosely. "You want to destroy Piltover because of an _oven?!_"

"_It was a Deluxe Edition. I pre-ordered it, you know._"

The Defender of Tomorrow took out his Mercury Hammer, causing the audience to go wild. "I don't exactly know about you feel for the oven, Horseman," Jayce said with a dead serious expression, "but I will definitely not allow you to destroy my home!"

The Headless Horseman cackled loudly as he raised his scythe into a battle stance. "_Hue hue hue- er, I mean, __**mwa ha ha ha!**__ Let us see if that hammer would __**really**__ help you out._"

And so, the two clashed their weapons. Hecarim had an overwhelming amount of strength, but unlike Mordekaiser and Thresh, he knew when to hold back. A single, fake strike made by Jayce caused the Horseman to slide back, his face cringed in pain. "_Grr,_" the Headless Horseman muttered under his clenched teeth, "_you're pretty good. I think._"

Jayce taunted the Horseman with a wide grin, "C'mon, is that all you can do?"

With a loud grunt, the villain charged towards Jayce once more. The Defender of Tomorrow blocked all of the Horseman's attacks with efficiency. Right before the enemy struck again, Jayce quickly transformed his Mercury Hammer into the Mercury Cannon. A large energy blast hit the Headless Horseman, who was pushed back to the other end of the stage.

This made the villain snap. Twirling his scythe around once more, the Horseman roared with an ominous voice, "_Feel the muffins! __**Taste the muffins!**_**"**

The villain fired an illusionary magic bolt at Jayce, who easily avoided it with a high jump. Falling straight towards the four-legged man, the Defender of Tomorrow transformed his weapon again and, with the Mercury Hammer in hand, he yelled,

"_**POWER SLAM!**_"

With a mighty (staged) strike, Jayce dealt massive damage to the Horseman, who staggered back with a shocked expression. "_No,_" the villain yelled as he struggled to stand, "_I can't lose here! I even used my MasterCard for that stupid oven!_"

But he fell. The four-legged villain collapsed on the stage floor, his scythe supporting him from falling over. Jayce walked up to the Headless Horseman as he asked with sharp glare, "Now answer me; what did you do?!"

The Horseman cackled as he began to fade away, adding more tension into the situation. "_Ha... ha ha ha! Why, my colleagues kidnapped your stupid president's daughter! And she'll be cooked in the Deluxe Edition oven I pre-ordered!_"

"_What?!_"

"_That's right, Jayce, Defender of Tomorrow,_" the Horseman said on the brink of vanishing, "_that bimbo's bimbo will die soon enough in the Matrix!_"

Jayce staggered back in shock. Struggling to keep his composure, the hero asked the villain, "H-How'd you know who I was...?"

The Horseman chuckled. His body had faded away, leaving only his pumpkin left. He said his final words with all of his pride,

"_Wikipedia..._"

And so, the villain vanished. Jayce blinked several times, completely flabbergasted by the information he had received. "It's time to call them," the Defender of Tomorrow whispered to himself. With a loud shout, he called out for his two sidekicks,

"_**Orianna! Blitzcrank!**_"

And the mentioned two popped out from both sides of the stage. The two had their original, metallic appearances that they were known for. When they skidded into a halt next to Jayce, the two flashed off incredibly cheesy poses that couldn't be described in words as they said,

"_Metal-2. Assembled._"

"Orianna. Blitzcrank. The president's bim-...daughter has been kidnapped! We shall locate the responsible criminals in this so-called Matrix. Let us make haste!"

"_Yes sir._"

As the three left the stage, the narrator returned with another speech, "_And so, the three left for a long journey to find the... Matrix. With little time left to save the president's daughter, Jayce and his sidekicks plan on saving the damsel in distress from the iron clutches of the enemy. The Defender of Tomorrow will, once again, save the day, and he planned on keeping his word._"

* * *

The three heroes returned to the stage, the background now showing the so-called Matrix. It was a large castle that had a single window at the very center of the front, and the twin doors loomed over Jayce and his sidekicks. Standing in front of the entrance was an armored man wielding a spear.

_Oh man,_ Jayce thought depressingly, _this is gonna get out of hand._

When Pantheon noticed the three heading toward him, he raised his spear before he slammed it on the stage ground, giving them a fair warning. The three heroes had no intention on backing off, so the Artisan of War tightened his grip on his spear, his glare becoming sterner than ever.

"You are not authorized to enter the Matrix," the guard angrily growled at the Defender of Tomorrow. "Leave, or face judgement."

"...Fair knight," Jayce said to the armored warrior before him, "I wish to enter the Matrix."

The armored warrior's eyes squinted as if to see whether Jayce was in his right mind. After a few moments of observation, the guard placed his spear on the ground by his side. He took two objects out of a pocket before he presented them to the Defender of Tomorrow. With the most serious expression he could make right at the moment, the Matrix guardian asked,

"Red pill or blue pill?"

"...Uhh, blue pill."

The guard tossed aside his pills before he angrily picked up his spear. Slamming his weapon on the ground, the warrior roared,

"_**YOU SHALL NOT PASS!**_"

"Sir," Blitzcrank told Jayce with his monotone voice, "according to my calculations, the red pill was the right answer."

The Matrix guardian suddenly replied at the robot's calculations, "Actually, I would've kick all of your a_**#&**_es anyway. So _**YOU STILL WOULD NOT HAVE PASSED!**_"

Jayce took out his iconic weapon out, while his sidekicks prepared for an incoming battle. The Matrix guardian introduced himself as he readied his spear,

"I am Full Metal Link, the Guardian of the Matrix. I have served the Matrix for a single day, and now my life is dedicated to this sacred place. You shall not desecrate the Matrix- _you will die like any other Agent!_"

Before Link got a chance to do anything, Orianna threw a rock at him. The man fell over silently. Not a single word came out of his mouth.

...But he quickly recovered from the sudden attack. Standing back on his feet, Link shouted, "_Begone!_" With his speech finished, the Matrix guardian bravely charged towards the three heroes.

Link's goal was to destroy the two robots first, and that was exactly what he aimed to do. Orianna shot her ball at the guard, who simply jumped over it thanks to his magnificent leg power. The ball came back to its owner at a high speed, but the iron warrior smashed the ball away with his weapon, avoiding the second attack as well. When he landed, the warrior slashed at the Lady of Clockwork with his sharp spear. Then, mustering up strength to his legs, he kicked the steel girl off of the stage. Blitzcrank saw this as a chance to grapple him. The Great Steam Golem launched an arm, its fingers spread wide open.

Full Metal Link was no idiot. The guard grabbed the hand before he pulled the mighty golem towards him. He smacked the robot with the butt of his spear before he landed an uppercut on it, sending it off of the stage as well.

_This,_ Jayce thought, completely baffled by Pantheon's "acting," _is really out of hand...!_

With the two robots dealt with, Link turned over to face the Defender of Tomorrow, eyes glowing with bloodlust. "_You're next,_" the guard yelled as he charged toward Jayce, his spear pointing at the hero.

Jayce threw a rock at Pantheon.

"_**HUAGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I THINK I DIED!**_"

Link dramatically screamed before he fell over, "dead" for good. Jayce sighed before he whispered, "Looks like I'm on my own this time." And so, the Defender of Tomorrow entered the castle.

* * *

The stage background displayed the interior of the castle from a side angle. There was another armored warrior standing in front of an empty throne. His armor looked identical to Link's, except he had a visor on his helmet that covered his face entirely. It was interesting to note that he wore a dark green armband on his right shoulder.

The Matrix knight took a step forward as he addressed Jayce with a low, demonic voice, "_You are not authorized to enter the Matrix. Leave, or face judgement._"

"But," the Defender of Tomorrow said to the strange knight before him, "I'm already _in_ the Matrix. And Link said that too, you know."

"_...No you're not. And no, he didn't._"

"Yes I am. And yes he did."

"_Your mother._"

Jayce raised an eyebrow, unamused by the mystery warrior's insult. "Any other bright comments?"

The knight looked around, making sure that he was alone on the stage with Jayce, before he shrugged. "_I dunno. You shall not pass?_"

The Defender of Tomorrow grinned at this statement. Taking his Mercury Hammer out for the third time, Jayce held a balanced battle stance. The man motioned the knight to attack him, his cockiness becoming clear to his enemy.

Much to the hero's surprise, the Matrix warrior took out two sub-machine guns out of nowhere. "_So, you wield the Hammer of Tomb Marrow. My name is Hadouken- I think. Ever since I was a baby, I was a Hadouken. But then Piltover stole ma' pet orca, Shoryuken, and then I transformed into a genius with an IQ of fifty-seven. So let's 'Round One' this out, Revenger of Samaria!_"

The knight fired two blue fireballs out of his guns as he screamed like a dolphin, "_**Hadouken!**_" Jayce felt his eyes widen at the incoming projectiles; he certainly didn't see this coming. The man expertly jumped over the balls of fire as he quickly transformed his weapon into the Mercury Cannon. Just before he could point it at the knight, however, the enemy was already upon him. The Matrix warrior had simultaneously jumped with Jayce. With a swift strike, the steel knight smacked the Defender of Tomorrow away with the butt of his left sub-machine gun.

Jayce landed and skidded across the stage. He quickly fired three _Shock Blasts_ at the mysterious opponent. The hero's enemy sidestepped away from all three shots as he fired a barrage of fireballs at the Defender of Tomorrow. Just before Hadouken could attack Jayce at a close-range, however, the human suddenly vanished. The demonic fighter looked around, startled by the disappearance of his foe.

The Defender of Tomorrow had jumped for the skies, his Cannon turning back into the Mercury Hammer. After a stylish, aerial front flip, Jayce fell from the ceiling of the castle like a lightning bolt. He shouted at his enemy right before he delivered a heavy blow to his enemy, "_**POWER SLAM!**_"

But the Matrix fighter deflected the attack.

Hadouken simply used both of his guns to smash the hammer away. As Jayce landed on the floor once more, the knight taunted, "_Ha ha! Even Horseshoe's old oven could hit harder than that!_"

Just before the two actors could resume their fight, however, the stage rumbled. Jayce and Hadouken simply stood still, wondering what shook the stage. After another rumble, the Matrix knight cackled happily. "_Ah... __**he's**__ coming._"

An unfitting heavy metal soundtrack began to play in the background, shocking the already flabbergasted audience even further. As the stage continued to rumble, the castle's throne crumbled into pieces from the sheer pressure. Jayce took a step back, fear overtaking his body. "W-What is that?!"

Beneath the destroyed throne emerged a large being. He had long black hair flowing out of his devilish helmet. The enormous newcomer wore a black trenchcoat that had a price tag sticking out near his neck. His black, shining armor underneath his clothing seemed to bring fear into the hearts of the audience- even Vi. Hadouken laughed at the Defender of Tomorrow's face as he said, "_Jayce, allow me to introduce the leader of our wonderful group! He is the champion of the Matrix, and one of the few who knows how to get a freaking job!_"

The Dark Knight lept away from the destroyed throne, landing next to the Matrix warrior. After staying still for a few seconds, a large, silver axe formed underneath the giant's right hand. The newcomer raised his left arm, letting four sharp blades suddenly protrude out of his knuckles.

"_My name is Chris Hanson. And your pedophilic story ends here, Jayce._"

"..."

…

Jayce stared at Hanson with an empty expression. He broke the awkward silence with a question.

"...First off, I'm not a pedophile. Second, how the _heck_ do you all know about my real name?"

"_Yahoo Answers,_" Hadouken claimed with a confident smile, "_because it's better than Wikipedia. Totally._"

Hanson muttered with his menacing voice, "_Merriam-Webster. It's the best a man can get._"

"_**WHY IS MY NAME EVEN ON THE DICTIONARY?!**_"

* * *

Meanwhile, Vi snapped. She had realized something that everyone else didn't.

_That's Mordekaiser... that's **Mordekaiser!**_

_...Then the reason why he didn't show up..._

The Piltover Enforcer felt one of her eyes twitch violently. A vein popped in her head.

* * *

Hanson laughed like a madman. "_Ha ha ha hue ha ha ha! The president's daughter is right behind the throne, and you'll never find her!_"

Jayce tilted his head in confusion. "Then couldn't I just walk around you guys and get her?"

"_Ah._"

Hanson contemplated about what the Defender of Tomorrow had said. Shortly afterward, he roared at Jayce, "_Ha ha ha hue ha ha ha! I totally killed the president's daughter, who's right behind the throne! You'll never get out of here alive, Jayce!_"

Giving Jayce no chance to talk back, Hanson threw his deadly-looking axe at the Defender of Tomorrow. The hero avoided the hulk of a weapon before he lept toward the Dark Knight. However, Hadouken prevented the Defender from attacking Hanson, as he began to spray a barrage of machine gun rounds at the hero. Jayce smashed his hammer in mid-air, stopping himself from getting caught in the storm of bullets. Fortunately, none of the bullets hit the audience due to the magic barrier placed in front of them.

"I know you're lying, Hanson," Jayce said with a serious expression, "so surrender now!"

The Dark Knight's eyes glowed violently, a new fire burning with him. "_So be it, Redundant Tomorrow._"

"It's _Defender of Tomorrow..._"

And then the unexpected happened.

Just when Hadouken began to charge toward Jayce, a laser shot out of the ground, stopping everyone on the stage.

"_**HOLY-**_" Hadouken jumped away from the laser.

It carved a clean circle out before disappearing, allowing someone to kick the floor open. A man jumped out of the hole, and his appearance startled absolutely everyone- even Walt Disney.

"**_Ha ha ha,_**" Viktor triumphantly shouted with his egotistical way of speaking. "_I am the Most Awesome Villain! Jayce, I've been waiting for a rematch for so long... and now you'll pay for that pink Sharpie you broke years ago!_"

Jayce screamed.

Hadouken let loose a storm of lead at the Machine Herald, who somehow dodged them all. With a quick sidestep, Viktor fired a laser from his robotic arm at Hadouken.

And then Thresh remembered something.

* * *

_The Chain Warden sat on a bench with Karthus, the Deathsinger._

"_Hey Karthus," Thresh asked in curiosity, "what happens if you eat ketchup?"_

"_You become one of them."_

"_Oh boy! Good thing I brought all of these ketchup packets! They're kinda watery, but whatever!"_

_And so, Thresh feasted upon ketchup._

* * *

When the laser hit Hadouken (Thresh), ketchup spewed out of his body. "_Aw, fu- **ARGHHHHHHHH!**_" Before he got the chance to fully say a swear word in front of thousands of children, his torso slid off cleanly from his legs, which continued to blindly walk around for a while. After a few moments of wondering around, the legs fell on its knees, before it fully collapsed. The audience screamed in horror as they cried,

"_Jayce! Help us!_"

The Defender of Tomorrow felt sweat trickle down his neck. There was an unreasonably excited Mordekaiser, a Wild Viktor that popped out of nowhere, and then there was Thresh, who was flying around the stage like a rocket due to the sheer amount of ketchup spewing out of his body. Things were looking bad for the hero.

Just when he thought that things couldn't get any worse, Pantheon jumped into the stage from the skies. "_I, Link, have come back to kill the daughter of a bi- er, the president, because I need to get this plot going,_" the Artisan of War roared as he charged towards the decimated throne. Link jumped out of the stage... before he really did bring out the president's daughter.

"Wow," Mordekaiser asked to particularly no one but himself, "what's the president's daughter doing here?"

"You kidnapped her, you doofus," Jayce muttered as his eyes twitched in annoyance. The woman that Link brought out was a familiar person. She wore a formal, black suit that showed her beautiful body off. Her elegant blue hair was tied to a single ponytail that flowed down to her waist.

Thresh, who was dragged out of the stage by Hecarim (thank his long scythe), raised an eyebrow as he mumbled, "That's Sona, ain't it?"

The Shadow of War cackled as if Thresh was crazy. "No, that's obviously Ro-Sham-Bo. Anyways, hold up. I'm gonna reattach your body parts."

"Good, 'cause you carrying my torso is just retarded."

Hecarim carefully positioned Thresh's torso... before he smashed it onto the Warden's legs. The Chain Warden grinned before he told his comrade, "Smell ya' later, Horseshoe."

"Okay-...fu_**#&**_ you."

Meanwhile, Hanson used his bare fists to fend off his enemies. For some reason, Link began to throw a bunch of spears from some infinite supply "under-his-butt-or-something-like-that." Once he got close enough, the Dark Knight landed a right hook on the traitor, who flew off the stage like a missile. Link's grip on Sona loosened, allowing the lady to land in front of the destroyed throne. The Most Awesome Villain took this chance and smacked the leader of the Matrix with his Most Awesome Rod.

"_Ow._"

Shortly after he was hit, Hanson twisted his body before he kicked Viktor with the back of his foot. Pain entering his face, the Machine Herald backed off from the remaining Matrix fighter.

"_**GAH,**_" Viktor cried as he covered his face in pure agony, "_**THIS PAIN! THIS MOTHER FU-**_"

Jayce felt his eyes widen, knowing what word was coming next. Using all of the speed he could use, the Defender of Tomorrow quickly fired a _Shock Blast_ from his Mercury Cannon, abruptly interrupting Viktor.

"_**AUGH! WHAT THE FU-**_"

The hero quickly fired another blast at the Machine Herald, who clutched his stomach in pain.

"_**AGH! YOU PIECE OF SH-**_"

Hanson saw these relentless blasts as a chance to get rid of an enemy. He lept over to the Machine Herald, his right hand clenched into a deadly fist, before he swung his arm with all of his might. The steel ball of pain headed directly toward Viktor's fire eggs (infamously named the "no-touchy-energy-balls").

Viktor gasped...

"..._**SON OF A BI-**_"

One last _Shock Blast_ knocked the Machine Herald out for good. The man fell over unconscious thanks to the extreme pain he felt. Chris Hanson chuckled before his eyes peered into his target. Jayce grinned, happy with all of the unnecessary chaos taken care of. "Now then," the Defender of Tomorrow said as his Cannon spun around in place, "let's finish this."

Before Hanson had the chance to reply, Hadouken walked back into the stage as he yelled, "_I'm BAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaack!_"

Everyone paled at the sight- except for Mordekaiser and Hecarim.

Hadouken's legs were walking toward the actors on the stage, but his torso certainly wasn't. His upper body facing a completely different direction, the Matrix warrior happily laughed before he took out his sub-machine guns again. "_Mwa ha ja ha!_"

Hadouken pressed the triggers of his firearms. A barrage of fireballs flew out of his weapons; however, he was not pointing at the right direction. Firing directly at the sidelines, Hecarim felt dozens of energy balls hit his body.

"_Aw, fu**#&**, I'm hurt,_" Hecarim nonchalantly stated before he collapsed.

Hadouken blinked. "_Whoops,_" the Matrix warrior said as he turned around, balls of fire still flying out of guns.

Chris Hanson punched the Hadouken away with a Shoryuken.

While his last comrade flew out of the stage, someone in the audience seemed to be struggling. The man fended off the magic barrier separating him from Sona, a woman he absolutely adored. With a mighty charge, the man jumped onto the stage, shocking absolutely everyone. He wore a golden t-shirt that had a portrait of Sona, black short pants with colorful strings flowing across it, and a gray baseball cap that had the initials "J4" on it.

"_Out of all people,_" Hanson depressingly muttered to himself.

The newcomer yelled at the last Matrix champion, "_I am the Most Awesome Newcomer!_ I shall be taking the Most Beautiful Lady from your hands!"

The Most Awesome Newcomer jumped over to Hanson, a familiar spear in hand, as he prepared to land an aerial attack. The Dark Knight smacked the spear away, but that did not stop the Most Awesome Newcomer from stopping. Being an awesome newcomer, the man let go of his spear, allowing it to fly away, before he raised a clenched fist.

"Let's do this the _classic_ way," the Most Awesome Newcomer roared. Hanson chuckled.

"_As you wish, Jay-Four._"

The two jumped away from each other, putting some distance between them. With fire burning in their eyes, Hanson and the Most Awesome Newcomer screamed,

"_**ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS!**_"

The Most Awesome Newcomer used paper.

Hanson used a steel rock on the Newcomer's face.

The newcomer, who was obviously Jarvan IV, tumbled out of the stage. Hanson dusted his hands as if he took care of a pest before he said, "_Now, to take care of the Tomb Raider of Tsunami-_"

Jayce had disappeared- along with the president's daughter. Hanson blinked, flabbergasted by such a simple tactic, before he fell on his knees. As he screamed in anger, the narrator was brought back to life with another dialogue prepared.

"_And so, uh, Jayce quickly took the president's daughter to safety. The enraged Chris Hanson vowed to never make the same mistake the next time the two met. The Defender of Tomorrow knew that the violent enemy would come back for his head, but he would be ready- just like how he is ready for everything. And until their next meeting, Jayce would continue to clean the streets of Piltover._

_For he was the Defender of Tomorrow._"

"..."

The audience did not say anything when the curtains closed. Vi looked around, disturbed by the sudden silence, but she knew their pain- after all, they just witnessed the most chaotic, live-action show in Runeterra's history. News about this crazy performance would spread across Valoran like a virus, and judging by the situation, things weren't looking pretty.

Until Kha'Zix stood up from his seat, who decided that screaming was a good idea. "_**YEAAAAAAAAAAAH! THAT. WAS. BEAUTIFUL!**_"

At this, the audience roared in excitement because everyone loved Kha'Zix (except for yordles). They clapped, some of the children wanting an encore, and praised the "realistic acting" the show brought. Vi awkwardly scratched the back of her head. It was the Institute of War she was at- she knew she should've seen this come.

But she was angry. Not about the play, but something else.

* * *

**Author's Notes (by far the longest one):**

**I have an announcement to make.**

**Recently, I've been getting a lot of people reading this fan-fiction, and I could tell just by the amount of reviews. I love the support and motivation you all are giving me, but I would like to request of you to do one thing.**

**Please do not give me chapter/story ideas for this fan-fiction. Whether it be in the reviews or via Private Message.**

**Yes, every single idea I received were interesting, and some I absolutely wanted to use, but I am the type to usually pop out with unexpected chapters that would sometimes take people by surprise. This means that I'm more than likely not going to go with the ideas given to me, whether it be public or private. I have gained some inspiration from these ideas, but at the same time, the amount of chapters I am willing to make have become smaller.**

**I am not saying that I hate your reviews and support; I _treasure_ it. This is just a simple request from some dude that wants to share something funny. I do not mind seeing people wanting a champion to appear, as I could easily make that happen (this is a crack-fiction, after all). But I do want to write my own story, just as how you would want to for your own.**

**I still do respond to Private Messages; it's just that I'd like it if the messages were just casual conversations. Like a bro or sis. I just roll in that carefree way, y'know? :D**

* * *

**Anyways, this chapter was (by far) the most random thing I've ever written so far. Muffin Man approves.**

**Next chapter: "Lecturekaiser!"**


	16. Lecturekaiser!

Mordekaiser woke up in his bedroom. Now, he knew he was not dreaming, for he had just woken up from a Draven nightmare. The previous day, he had starred in the most chaotic live-action show that met surprisingly positive receptions. Then again, people were crazy in general. Or maybe everyone felt the need to praise the show because Kha'Zix did so.

The Master of Metal sat up from the soft bed he hated despite the fact that he never threw it out. He looked around his surroundings, checking to see if anything was abnormal.

_Nothing. That means something crazier is outside._

The iron man lept off of his bed before he headed out of the bedroom. He attempted to open the door, but it didn't seem to budge.

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow when he noticed a tiny note plastered on the door. He snatched the message off of the door before he read it out loud to himself,

"_Mordekaiser, from now on, this dormitory isn't yours. If you somehow manage to escape from this room, then go use my old one._

_Insincerely, Vi._"

The Master of Metal snapped.

"_**GUARGHHHHH!** Why is this happening at the very beginning of a day?!_"

Mordekaiser attempted to kick the door open, but only grunted in disappointment when it didn't budge. He had no idea on what Vi put in front of it, but he did not care about the matter- he was focused on escaping the room. After a few more punches, the Master of Metal decided that breaking out of the door would not be a good idea. Mordekaiser hastily took out an outdated cell phone as he dialed a number he knew of. Ten seconds was all it took for Mercedes to take the call.

"_Hyello?!_"

Mordekaiser cringed from the volume of Mercedes' voice. "Mercedes, uh... listen. I got _locked in my own freakin' room. _What's up with that?"

Mercedes expertly mashed the buttons on his keyboard, his eyes never leaving the computer screen. As he constantly clicked his mouse without missing a beat, the high summoner asked, "Mordekaiser, I am _pretty_ busy right now. It's urgent business, y'know."

"_**'DOTA 2' **CAN WAIT** LATER, **OLD MAN**!**_"

"_**NO, IT CAN'T, MORDEKAISER! I'M MAKING HISTORY HERE-**_"

The Master of Metal angrily stomped his foot on a random button attached on the floor that was labeled "The Stomp Button."

"Mercedes, some egotistical psycho decided to lock me in my own dormitory. The very least you could do for me is to send some champion up here and convince her. I don't know why, but I can't go through the door... without destroying the Break, that is."

Mercedes raised an eyebrow at this. "_Her?_ Mordekaiser, don't tell me you killed someone's husband again-"

"Oh, please. Killing husbands is my freaking job. Thresh takes care of the women."

"...Anyways- _OH FU-_"

The phone line was abruptly cut off, making Mordekaiser toss his newly-bought, outdated cellphone outside of the open window. The Master of Metal pondered on how he could escape the room.

_...Wait a minute..._

The iron man looked back at the shining window. He saw the Institute of War in all of its glory- and its ugliness (according to Mordekaiser)- with several skyscrapers built here and there. The Master of Metal did not know why skyscrapers would be built in the Institute in the first place, but then again, who did not like staring down at inferior pests from the high ground?

Using his power of metal, Mordekaiser quickly formed a long, steel rope of chains. Remembering Nautilus, the Titan of the Depths, and his way of flinging himself into walls, the iron man made two large anchor at the ends of the rope. Mordekaiser walked over to the wide window before he looked down. He presumed that he was about twenty stories high, considering that the Break building was immensely tall. The Shadow Isles champion did not care about heights; he was just worried about the people below him. And their life insurances if they had any.

The Master of Metal took several steps back before he smashed one end of the anchor on the ground. After stomping on it several times to ensure its usability, Mordekaiser took a deep breath. If Vi would not let him out, then he would find a way to get out. Maybe punch her in the face afterward. With a heavy sigh, the Master of Metal ran toward the wide window. Mordekaiser threw the other anchor out of the large gap with little care for the Institute's safety. It was better than plummeting toward an unnecessary death or obliterating the Institute "on accident."

He took several steps back again, intent on jumping out of the window this time. Taking a deep breath, Mordekaiser dashed toward the shining hole. The Master of Metal put some strength into his legs.

It turned out that he put too much strength into his legs.

Mordekaiser spiraled out of the window like a football magnificently thrown by a star player.

"Oh..."

The iron man quickly grabbed onto the stretched rope outside of the window, instantly sliding down like a boulder nearby an erupting volcano. Sparks violently flew beneath his iron grip. The bright sun provided light to the entire Institute. Mordekaiser felt adrenaline rush through his veins as he slid down the rope. It had been a long time since he did something interesting, and he was somewhat thankful to Vi for her mood swings. But after thinking about it a second time, he decided that Vi _should not_ have mood swings. It just wasn't good for his health, which was ironic considering how he was a champion from _Shadow Isles._

The Master of Metal noticed that smoke was coming out of the Institute of War. Surprisingly enough, the anchor had landed in the middle of Garen's favorite track field. Just when he thought that all would end well, a certain person caught his eyes. A second was all it took for those eyes to bulge out of their sockets.

The Marai he had found back at the beach was sitting right next to the anchor that decimated a water fountain. Then there was Jarvan IV apparently having a fun time talking and walking with Xin Zhao, who was covering his ears in agony. The two Demacians were walking on the track field, which was fairly far from the water fountain.

"_What the-_ Holy crap, can't I slide faster?"

Mordekaiser did not want Jarvan to find the Marai right at the moment. Considering the prince's weird personality, no one knew about how his brain processing worked. He was also famed to be a man with mood swings; that was not something to be proud of. When he came closer to the anchor at the fountain, he saw a man pop out of nowhere nearby the Marai. Mordekaiser hastily let go of the rope before he tumbled on the ground. He made another dash, which caught a certain Void Walker's attention.

Kassadin, donning his classic, topless outfit, felt his eyes widen as he saw a Panzer head towards him. He yelled behind his mask, "_What the **FU**_-"

Mordekaiser sent the Void Walker flying to the skies. With the blue man dealt with, the Master of Metal turned back before he ran towards the Marai. He roughly picked it up with one arm before he ran off to the champions' dormitory building. Apparently, someone did not want him to have a peaceful day.

He was unaware of the fact that Jarvan saw him.

* * *

An hour went by, and the Demacian champions began to gather in a single room specifically designed for them. It was conveniently located at the first floor lobby. The room, which was supposed to be a dormitory, was large enough for all of the Demacians to attend meetings, and that was all that Jarvan needed. The only objects that always stayed in the meeting room were some chairs and a large, round table.

Jarvan slammed his fist on the table as he screamed,

"_**I wanna go fishing!**_"

The room was filled with silence. Fiora Laurent, the Grand Duelist, raised an eyebrow in amusement. Like most of the others, she wore her battle armor, which was considered to be one of the least effective out of all the Demacian champions. "Uhh, Lord Jarvan?" Fiora asked with worry in her voice. "Did Fizz do something to you?"

"No, no, no," the prince quickly replied with a large smile on his face. "I really wanna go fishing."

Xin Zhao sighed. "Lord Jarvan, you must be having a seizure again. Go sleep in your dormitory-"

"_Hey!_"

Jarvan turned to look at Garen Crownguard, seeking help from his best friend. The Crownguard knight, however, seemed to be occupied in staring at a magazine filled with pictures of swords. Lux Crownguard giggled as she commented, "Lord Jarvan, you do know that you could go fishing any time you want to, right?"

Jarvan shook his head. He cleared his throat before he told the Lady of Luminosity, "Lux Crownguard, I'm fully aware of the fact that I could go fishing any time I want to. I just mentioned it to see if anyone else wanted to go."

"Lord Jarvan."

Jarvan turned to another Demacian in the room. Quinn, who was in her blue-and-yellow, bird-like armor, had her eyes closed in deep thought. The Wing of Demacia asked the prince, "Where is Lady Sona?"

The Prince of Demacia simply commanded, "Quinn, open your freaking eyes before I throw a keyboard at Valor when I see him next time."

Her eyelids opened without hesitation.

"Now, wasn't that easy?" Jarvan laughed like the jerk he was. "Anyways, I have something to discuss with you all."

Shyvana, who sat next to Jarvan, simply shook her head as she mumbled, "This better not be a Rick Roll again..."

The Demacians fell silent, their eyes open for what their leader wanted to say. The Prince of Demacia took a deep breath before he announced,

"My parents died yesterday night."

A cold, tragic atmosphere entered the room.

"Just kidding. They're alive and kickin'. _Ha ha ha!_"

The dark atmosphere was immediately replaced by disappointment. All of the Demacians (excluding Jarvan) sighed.

"Anyways, I have decided to open a trade route with the Rakkor tribe. Ever since Leona talked through the thick skulls of those guys for me, they suddenly became nice to me and all. They even gave me a thousand-year-old soda can! I'm so awesome."

At this, Garen raised his head up from the magazine. He had a puzzled look on his face. "Leona? But isn't she sided with the Solari?"

"The Solari," Master Yi stated with confidence, "are respected by the Rakkor. It was Leona the warriors did not respect, though ever since she the Solari accepted her, the Rakkor seems to see her in a more positive light."

"Master Yi," Jarvan said with a happy smile. "Get the f_**#&%**_ out of my room."

The Wuju Bladesman quickly sped out of the room.

"...Anyways, yeah. Leona's the main reason why this became possible. And so, I'd like to get some ideas on how to thank her."

Garen nodded in agreement. "Indeed," the Crownguard said with a serious expression on his face. "But it is not a surprise if you consider her respectful personality."

Just when Fiora opened her mouth to say something, Pantheon, the Artisan of War, barged into the room. Jarvan screamed like a girl as he tossed a water balloon at the Rakkor warrior.

"..."

Now drenched in cold water, the Artisan of War cleared his throat before he said, "Don't _ever_ do that again."

Jarvan tossed another water balloon at Pantheon, who carefully received it before sending it back at the Prince of Demacia. While Jarvan shouted incoherently, Pantheon said to the rest of the Demacians, "So, uh, I heard that you all are planning on thanking her, right?"

Everyone nodded. Pantheon scratched his cheek behind the helmet he wore. "H-Hmm. Well, just to let you all know, Leona's birthday's coming around soon. So... uhh..."

The Artisan of War nervously told the Demacians, "She hasn't smiled much recently, so... try being a lil' good around her. Yes, that's all I needed to tell you."

Everyone simply stared at Pantheon. Even Jarvan, who took out a grenade out of nowhere. After the prince faced the consequences of carrying an unpinned explosive, the Artisan of War headed out of the room. As he left, Pantheon said to the Demacians, "Oh yeah. And she likes vanilla-flavored things. Never understood why, though."

And with that, Pantheon left the room.

And Jarvan ran around the room, his entire body engulfed in fire.

* * *

Mordekaiser sat in a dormitory. Now, before you ask how he ended up in his dormitory again, keep in mind that he _was not._ The Master of Metal found his own dormitory locked by the Piltover Enforcer, much to his chagrin. Considering that Vi planned on separating Mordekaiser from his own shelter, the Master of Metal devised a clever plan that he would follow for the next few days.

And that was taking over Vi's dormitory.

But he had went through a motherload of pain to clean the dormitory filled with nachos and chocolate chips scattered everywhere. He even needed Morgenstern's presence to clean the filthy place up to his own liking. It was all worth it to Mordekaiser, however, as he redecorated the entire dormitory with stainless metal. Oh, how he loved his metal.

The Master of Metal mashed the buttons of his second GameMace controller. It was a good thing that he kept a whole stash within his infinite supply of games in a hidden location (he would never tell anyone- even you). His ability to create metal television sets was a useful one, though he rarely used it.

Mordekaiser sighed as he paused the video game he was playing. For the iron man, it was hard to believe that Vi took his dormitory. He tossed his controller on the ground as he stood up.

"Time to look around for a bit..."

The Master of Metal began to roam around the dormitory. He was unused to the small amount of space available, but then again, his dormitory was unusually large. Most of the properties Vi owned were surprisingly decent, and he had not noticed that when he cleaned the room up. There were some "girly-girly-girly-so-on-forth" items on a small table, though it seemed as if they were untouched. As he snooped around the Enforcer's dormitory, he noticed a stack of papers lying on a bookshelf. Pushing aside some comic books, the iron man picked the papers up with one hand. He enforced his grip on the stack with his other hand as he read out the words on the first sheet of paper,

"'File One: Project Process'...?"

Mordekaiser quickly skimmed through the sheets of paper, but the huge amount of papers forced him to stop reading before he died because of extreme boredom. He assumed that he picked up some sort of diary Vi liked to type out, though he wondered whether she even had a computer- or even a printer, at the very least. He quickly channeled his power of metal and created a business suitcase. Mordekaiser quickly shoved the papers into the suitcase before making the object disappear into thin air. "I'll just read that crap when I have more free time," the iron man said to himself as he continued to roam around the room.

The Master of Metal found another stack of papers, but this time, they did not look as important as before. There were some doodles apparently made by Vi. Interestingly enough, there was a drawing of retarded-looking Mordekaiser getting obliterated by an obnoxiously handsome Vi. Yes, _handsome_ was the right term for it in Mordekaiser's standards.

Just when he was about to tear the paper apart, he heard someone knock on the door. He panicked.

_Aw, **crap!** I haven't been able to explain why I'm starting to live here! Well, might as well do it now._

Mordekaiser walked up to the entrance door. He noticed that there was a small hole on it, so he decided to take a quick peek. Standing in front of him was none other than Caitlyn, the Sheriff of Piltover. She donned her purple, western-themed uniform like usual. Mordekaiser reminded himself to make a top hat like Caiylyn's someday.

"Vi?" Caitlyn called out for her ever-so-rebellious comrade. "I have a few questions to ask you."

Mordekaiser shoved his back onto the door, his hands stuck on it like glue.

_Uh oh... did she do something bad before she went up there?_

Caitlyn knocked on the door with more force, startling the iron man. "Vi, I'm not kidding around here! Open up, will you?"

Mordekaiser fell into a state of deep thought. He wondered how he could deal with the sheriff. After several more knocks on the door, he thought of something clever.

The Master of Metal created a small, rectangular metal plate in a few seconds. He wrote something on it before nodding in approval of himself.

Caitlyn had backed away from the door. With a fast sprint, she dashed to the door, intent on kicking it open. Just when she lifted herself up from the ground, however, the door opened ever-so-quickly. A metallic object went straight for her head, knocking the Sheriff back to the ground. As if it were teasing her, the door closed slowly. The Sheriff shook her head, dazed by the sudden attack, before she looked at the steel plate thrown at her. The initials "G.T.F.O." were written on it with messy handwriting.

Something in Caitlyn's mind snapped.

"_**VI...!**_"

Without a warning, the Sheriff quickly stood up from the floor before she began to repeatedly slam the door with her foot. Mordekaiser, who had been standing in front of the door, jumped in surprise when an infinite amount of objects began to hit the door. "Uh oh," the iron man said to himself in worry. "I think I just put some fuel into the fire..."

"_We need a 'little' talk,_" Caitlyn grumbled in anger as she continuously rammed her boots on the door.

Mordekaiser had placed everything he could find in front of the door: tables, shelves, and even the doodle papers he despised. But even with all of these things barricading the door, it still moved, threatening Mordekaiser's safety. "Dang it! Grr, this calls for the last resort I just thought of a few seconds ago!"

The Master of Metal took a deep breath... before he ran towards one of the walls in the dormitory. He easily smashed through it thanks to the amount of energy he was using. A few seconds was all it took for the iron man to pop out of building itself. Free from a deranged sheriff, Mordekaiser took out yet another cellphone. This one seemed older than the one he had thrown out earlier- and crappier.

The Master of Metal quickly dialed a number before he yelled, "Mercedes! _Mercedes!_"

"_Holy crap, Morde',_" Mercedes shouted through the phone. "_I died because of you!_"

"Mercedes, now's not the time! I've got _two_ psychos hating me to the core! What should I do?!"

Mercedes fell silent. After a few moments of thinking, he told the iron man, "_Actually, there's a class I'm going to be teaching today. It's taking place right next to the Battle Quarters. If you really wanna stay away from them, take my place in teaching for today. Everything should be in room 1023._"

"Mercedes, if this is all for DOTA, then I'll lose all of my respects for you."

"_Actually, it's because of the fact that I'm near my goal of winning a million gold pieces._"

"..."

Mordekaiser hung up the phone, annoyance present on his face. Yes, he would teach an entire class of nobodies for today- only because his head was at stake. Just for that day, and only because of the fact that Piltover had a grudge on him.

"You're really gonna owe me this time, old man," Mordekaiser muttered under his breath as he headed off to the Battle Quarters. He would find the school next to it, and he would get over the entire ordeal.

* * *

Jarvan sat on his seat after washing the fire he was caught in with some orange juice. He looked surprisingly clean.

"Anyways," the Lightguard told his fellow Demacians, "we will resume the meeting now."

Garen Crownguard spoke up shortly after Jarvan talked. "Jarvan, I think we should have a golf tournament."

"Garen, now's not the time. Unless you wanna go fishing with me."

"Hmm," Lux said with a questioning look, "but I kind of want to do something fun. For all of us, that is."

"Lux, now's not the time. Unless you wanna go fishing with me."

Xin Zhao nodded to himself before he voiced his opinion, "Maybe we should go bother the Noxians with pinatas. They'll _hate_ that, and we'll _love_ it."

"Xin Zhao, now's not the time. Unless you wanna-"

"Jarvan," Shyvana said with a menacing glare. "Zip it. Now. I think Quinn wants to say something."

Jarvan raised an eyebrow as he looked at Quinn, who gloomily sat on her chair. The Wing of Demacia cleared her throat before she quietly told to her colleagues,

"I can't find Valor."

Fiora spat the coffee she was drinking on Xin Zhao's face. Xin Zhao was not amused.

Garen stood up from his seat as he asked, "What do you mean you can't find him? You two stick close to each other all the time, do you not?"

Quinn sighed, worry apparent in her eyes. "Yes, but... this morning, I wasn't able to find him in my dormitory. It seems that he left the dormitory without a word."

"T-That's not good!" Lux worriedly said with a shocked look. "We'll need to find him, then!"

The Might of Demacia was startled at this. "Whoa, wait a second. You do know he could be _anywhere_ at this point, right? He'll probably come back."

An awkward silence fell over the room. Fiora took a glance at Xin Zhao, who looked directly at Lux. The Lady of Luminosity silently ruffled her hair as she looked at Jarvan with a pleading look. The Prince of Demacia sighed before he stood up from his seat.

"Fine then," Jarvan said with an annoyed look. "We don't really do much other than fighting in the League, anyways. Let us all look for Valor. But Quinn, don't forget that I'm _still_ throwing a keyboard at him if we do catch him."

* * *

Mordekaiser entered the Summoner's Academy. It was literally a large school that welcomed all summoners and normal citizens of Valoran alike. Summoners and citizens took different classes based on what they specialized in, and the variety of classes made it hard for one to absolutely fail. Seven classes were available for each day, though one could take a single class if they wanted to.

The Master of Metal had never been to the academy before, though he already started to hate the place. He felt old just by looking at the next-generation technology around him. The way everything seemed to float was just awkward to him. Even the stairs seemed to float, though he had no reason to take them.

After what seemed like an eternity, he found Mercedes' classroom. Mercedes himself rarely taught students, but when he did, many people accepted his presence. He had a great reputation among the young summoners due to his friendly and overall "young" personality. Mordekaiser opened the door, which revealed what looked like a normal classroom. There were finely-crafted wooden desks and chairs for the students, some bookshelves around the room, and a fancy looking table that was apparently Mercedes'.

"How normal," the Master of Metal thought in disappointment.

Mordekaiser set his feet inside the classroom.

_All I need to do is teach, right? Fine then. I'll teach them the lesson of their lives._

The Master of Metal walked deeper into the depths of the room.

_I'll teach them like how a **boss** would._

* * *

Another hour went by, and the students began to pour into the academy. Despite being a summoner that won many matches with Mordekaiser, Clementine was still attending her classes. She rushed into the building with her crazy bed hair sticking out at many directions. The girl was a far cry from the morning bird, and she knew it well. Clementine herself did not find much fun in going to school.

It was the classes she took that made it completely worth the trouble. And today, Mercedes was going to teach yet another class to her. She looked up to him as much as she did to Mordekaiser, though the middle-aged man acted like an optimistic father around her. His classes mostly involved both basic and advanced teachings on the League of Legends; whether the topics were about summoning in the League or learning about the League itself, Mercedes always brought out something interesting and worthwhile to learn about.

Clementine sat in her seat. Mercedes had not arrived yet, but that was to be expected. He was always the last one to enter the classroom, much to the students' amusement. The orange-haired girl looked around her surroundings. Her variety of classmates made an interesting class. Some of them were video-gaming diehards, some were social bumblebees. Some simply liked to enjoy to chatter among their friends. Clementine simply liked to stay quiet.

"Hey fuzzball!" A red-haired girl called out from the left side of the classroom. Clementine jumped in place before she quickly faced the speaker. The girl who had just called her out had three ponytails sticking out of the back of her head. She also had those cocky, yellow eyes, a white frilly dress, and green nails. Some liked to call her the "Alpha-B_**#%&*,**_" but Clementine knew her by her real name, Yelena Edenfield.

"Get a hair cut, will ya? You look freakier than last week already!"

The equally spoiled-looking girls around Yelena giggled as Clementine looked away from the red-haired girl. She tended to ignore whatever insults they had in store. "Har har," Yelena sarcastically commented as she rolled her eyes. "There she goes ignoring me again. Freak."

"Why don't you give her a reality check, already?" A girl asked the red-haired girl. Yelena simply smirked before she replied,

"We _are_ the reality check."

Clementine ignored the additional laughter made from Yelena's comment.

The bell rang. It was a signal for all of the students to get to class before they get in trouble. Clementine did her best to not look awkward with her bed hair, though it was obviously an impossible task. A few minutes went by, and Mercedes did not enter the classroom.

Clementine blinked when she noticed that four minutes had gone by. _What was taking him so long?_ The girl thought to herself as she quietly stared at the desk in front of herself.

Suddenly, the classroom door burst open, revealing an armored, silver boot. It already looked menacing. Every student turned to stare at the large foot. When the mystery man placed his foot back on the ground, he walked into the classroom. By the time he had closed the door behind him, everyone fell into a state of shock. Clementine froze deathly still.

The armored man headed over to the wide, green chalkboard that was hanging over the front of the classroom. He picked up a red chalk piece before he began to write something on the board. After he put the chalk back to the sill of the board, the Master of Metal introduced himself to his dear students.

"_I am Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal. I hail from Shadow Isles, and I hope you all will go burn in a fire after this class ends._"

Everyone stared at him in horror. Clementine blinked, completely baffled by Mordekaiser's appearance. One unfortunate summoner raised his hand as he asked the Master of Metal,

"S-Sir Mordekaiser! Forgive me for asking, but where has our teacher gone to?"

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow. As if he were looking for something, the iron man looked around before he walked towards a wooden podium. He picked it up before placing it in front of the chalkboard.

"Your teacher is apparently making history," the iron man grumbled. "Now, if you don't shut up about it, then _you're history._"

The summoner gulped. It certainly was not the right question to ask Mordekaiser.

The Master of Metal slammed his wooden podium as he yelled, "_Let's get started, you hopeless fools! Listen closely to everything I say, imbeciles, because we're gonna have a freakin' pop quiz at the end of class!_"

All of the students woke up at this. Satisfied with his successful attempt in striking fear into the students, Mordekaiser picked up his red chalk before he began to write something down.

"Currently," the Master of Metal said as he unenthusiastically drew out a map of the Summoner's Rift, "you've been learning about how to work with your champion in the Summoner's Rift." Mordekaiser tossed the chalk on the board's sill before he said to the summoners,

"Today, you'll be learning about what to do in... _certain situations..._ at the Summoner's Rift."

Some of the students took out their notebooks (Clementine included) as they prepared to write anything he had to say. Mordekaiser asked the summoners, "First things first, I have a question for you all. What do you do with bushes?"

The students fell into deep thought, much to Mordekaiser's chagrin. After a few long seconds, a brown-haired summoner raised his hand before he answered, "Wards?"

The Master of Metal nodded. "What else?" Mordekaiser asked, crossing his arms to show his boredom.

One of the students blurted out, "Get potions and charge in!" This made some of the students chuckle, though the Master of Metal did not seem to be amused at all. After the laughter died out, Mordekaiser said to the entire class,

"So, you all are laughing about death, hmm? Yes, I remember pummeling Garen Crownguard to dust. It was certainly a fun experience. _Hm hmm... ha ha ha..._"

The Master of Metal eerily laughed at the thought as the students gulped. With the class silenced once more, he turned back to the board to draw a ward in the middle of a bush at the bottom lane of the Rift. "Now," Mordekaiser muttered as he made sure to draw a dead body of Teemo next to the fancy-looking ward, "there are certain moments when all of your enemy summoners prepare the _Teleport_ skill. This enables them to warp their champion into a designated location as long as a turret or minion is available."

The Master of Metal dropped the chalk again as he faced his class. "Sometimes, summoners degrade their intelligence into that of a snail's and ignore these certain situations. Say that the blue team's ADC is facing the purple team's ADC, and all of a sudden, the rest of the purple team's champions pop out of a bush."

Mordekaiser crossed his arms again before he asked, "How would this happen?"

A boy next to Clementine raised his hand up. The Master of Metal raised an eyebrow at this. "Yes?"

"The four champions pretended to be in the jungle," the boy said with uncertainty in his voice.

The Master of Metal simply huffed, "Hmph. Wrong answer. Try again in a million years."

As the boy sulked over his loss, a cyan-haired summoner raised his hand. It was interesting to note that everything related to his appearance was tied with the color blue. Mordekaiser easily noticed the boy with the short, spiky ponytail. He simply pointed at the summoner, signaling him to speak up. "Uhh... I guess the four champions' summoners used _Teleport_ on some minion in a bush?"

"Absolutely wrong, though that was a better answer than 'Screw you.' Anyone else?"

When no one else raised their hand, Yelena decided to speak up. "It's because the purple team's ADC placed a ward at the bush. The four champions had their summoners use _Teleport_ on the ward, allowing them to ambush the blue team's ADC."

Mordekaiser chuckled, making Yelena curious. "Ha ha ha... actually, you're wrong. The blue team's summoners all went AFK and by the time they came back, all five of the champions were at the bottom lane. I just drew the ward for the dead Teemo."

The classroom went silent. A few seconds passed by before Mordekaiser shrugged. "Well, I guess you were right, though in _my_ standards you were wrong. Moving on."

The Master of Metal erased the bottom lane's activities before he drew a small box next to the map. "Now, there are certain 'counter-champions' that are efficient in taking out specific champions. In Draft Picks, there are obviously times when your enemy picks a champion that directly counters your own."

He wrote two words in the box: "Champions" and "Runes." Mordekaiser turned to face his class before he asked,

"Which is more important: champions that are less likely to be countered or runes that empower your most frequently used champion?"

A black-haired girl raised a hand. Mordekaiser looked at her with a "hurry-up-or-I'll-kill-you" look.

"U-Umm... runes...?"

The Master of Metal glared at her. After looking at her for five seconds, he turned his attention away from her as he said, "You had no support for your reason. Therefore, you're incorrect. Any other fools who wish to embarrass themselves?"

The cyan-haired boy raised his hand again as he said, "Runes! 'Cause yer' gonna need them!"

Mordekaiser slammed a fist on the podium, startling every student in the classroom. He roared in glee, "_That was absolutely correct, my treacherous imbecile!_ You get runes because _they're awesome!_"

"B-But Mr. Mordekaiser," a short summoner asked, "that's true, but... isn't there some other-"

Mordekaiser gave him a menacing glare. The Master of Metal stormed over to the summoner, scaring everyone in the room. After staring at the student for a few seconds, Mordekaiser leaned toward the boy before he muttered,

"Zip it. Go to Wikipedia if you're that concerned. _Moving on!_"

* * *

Jarvan fell on his knees in front of the Summoner's Academy. Panting due to exhaustion, the Prince of Demacia complained,

"That... bird... is... _so... dead... when I... find him..._"

Quinn constantly looked around, her hope in finding Valor slowly dissipating. Garen sighed before he angrily whispered, "Blast it! Where could he have gone to...?" Lux simply shook her head as she took a peek behind a trash can, hoping to find the missing Wing of Demacia.

"Maybe he really did go somewhere far," the Lady of Luminosity said, defeated. "This is getting quite problematic..."

Fiora simply shrugged, more focused on drinking the coffee she brought with her. "He'll come back," the Grand Duelist stated as if what she said was a fact. "Like any bird, Valor would need to stretch his wings. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him take some joyrides."

"But," Shyvana replied as she tossed aside a bucket she found on the floor, "we don't know how long he's been gone. Quinn, do you know when he left...?"

The Wing of Demacia sighed. "No. But I _do_ know that he was with me yesterday. There is a possibility that he left during the night."

Jarvan angrily kicked the marble floor beneath him. "Grr! Annoying bird. I am the great Jarvan! I'll find you, Valor, and when I do, I'll give you the honor to get hit by _two_ keyboards!"

The Prince of Demacia marched into the Summoner's Academy. _This little game of "Where's Waldo" is gonna end here,_ the Demacian leader thought to himself. _And once it's over, I'm gonna go find Sona! Where the heck is she, anyways...?_

Jarvan's comrades hurried themselves to catch up with the prince. "Wait!" Xin Zhao cried as he ran. "But you still have a seizure! You're only worsening the effects!"

Fiora rolled her eyes as she told the Seneschal of Demacia, "That's the same thing you told Poppy when she decided to stop attending these 'Demacian meetings.'"

* * *

"...and so, that is why eighty-percent of the summoners don't pick up wards," Mordekaiser told his students as he drew a big X over a poor drawing of an unfortunate-looking Sight Ward. "Now, let's move onto something fun."

All of the students gulped.

Mordekaiser erased his drawing with a board eraser before creating another laughable portrayal of the Summoner's Rift. He then drew two stickmen attacking each others with swords. "These two," the Master of Metal explained as he began to create a portrait drawing of himself next to the Rift, "are fighting."

The iron man waited to see a reaction- none came. He waited for a few seconds before he asked with a disappointed look, "As a Jungler, how would you help your idiotic teammate in killing the idiotic enemy at the middle lane?"

One student raised his hand as he exclaimed, "But Lord Mordekaiser, what if we never plan on jungling-"

"If I jungled, anyone can jungle. Even your mom, though I'd kill her in a second," the iron man bluntly interrupted. He sighed before he asked the class,

"Anyone else?"

Yelena raised her hand once more. The Master of Metal turned to face her with a tired expression. He put down the chalk he was holding before telling the student, "You've been answering nearly all of my awesome questions so far. Let some other imbecile answer."

"But Lord Mordekaiser, I would like to answer your question."

Mordekaiser raised an eyebrow before he crossed his arms. "Oh?" The Master of Metal said with amusement. "Then tell me, what foolish answer do you have for my awesome question?"

"You will need to ambush the enemy with precise timing. Keeping your ally alive and defeating the enemy are important priorities for a Jungler."

The Master of Metal laughed. "Ha ha- _no._ In reality, you just need to kill the fool with any way you could think of. Just be clever."

Yelena sighed in defeat, much to Mordekaiser's pleasure. He erased all of the contents on the chalkboard. After he put down his eraser, the Master of Metal leaned over the small, wooden podium before he announced,

"After school. _Quiz time._ Get dunkin'."

Everyone resisted the urge to complain. The bell rang shortly after the iron man spoke, allowing the students to escape the dreadful room. Mordekaiser, however, left as well. He had nothing to do until the school ended, so he decided that taking a look around the academy was a decent idea.

The Master of Metal entered the main lobby of the school. After he took a look around his surroundings, he decided to head for the stairs. There was an annoyingly large amount of stairs, though the iron man did not mind this at the moment. He was simply glad that he did not need to deal with two of Piltover's finest. Mordekaiser had no intentions on leaving the school until the angry women decided not to hunt him down. He still wondered why Vi was angry with him.

There were a total of six floors, and Mordekaiser walked up through all of them. The last flight of stairs allowed him to face a wall with a large gray door at a small corner. The Master of Metal headed over to the contraption with curiosity. He quickly opened the door, only to find out that it was linked to the balcony.

The balcony was quite bland compared to the fancy interior of the Summoner's Academy. The floor was made of smooth cement tiles, and a steel rail was set up at the edges of the balcony. No real detail was put within the area, but that was just what Mordekaiser needed. Neither normal nor fancy- just a simple and straightforward place.

The Master of Metal headed to the farthest rail, leaning over the pleasantly sturdy object. Before him was the Institute of War closer than ever. There were many kinds of Valoran citizens walking around the busy grounds, but he did not see any undead roaming around. Of course, any normal undead do not walk in daylight. Mordekaiser was not normal; he was a special case. Like his friends, he was a different kind of undead. He was not the kind of undead that commonly appears in horror stories; he was a champion that hailed from Shadow Isles.

Mordekaiser felt the wind softly collide against his shielded head. Morning was slowly coming to an end as the impatient afternoon begged for its attention. He pushed himself away from the rail. The Master of Metal turned to leave the balcony, but during his departure, something caught his attention.

There was a blue bird perched onto another rail. Its magnificent color let the iron man instantly realize what it was.

It also caused Mordekaiser to undergo a panic session.

_Oh crap! What's a **Demacian** bird doing here?! I thought I was alone!_

The bird's eyes were closed, but this did nothing to help relieve the Master of Metal's uneasiness. Mordekaiser quickly scanned his surroundings; there were no signs of Jarvan's flagpoles, and that was a good thing. He carefully approached the Demacian bird. When he got close enough, however, Mordekaiser noticed something about the bird. One of the bird's wings had a painful-looking cut. There was still some signs of blood trickling down the blue feathers.

The Master of Metal sighed in relief, which was shortly followed after with a laugh. "Well, if Jarvan and his lackeys aren't here, then I guess this is just a normal bird. I mean, it's not like it's gonna gang up on me with some animal tamer, right? _Ha ha ha...!_"

Mordekaiser reached his hand out for the bird, who made no signs of movement. He lightly plucked it off of the rail, and much to his own surprise, the bird did not seem to resist his grip. "Hmm," the iron man muttered to himself as he observed the gash on the bird's wing. "Maybe a bandage would do. Yeah, _bandages heal everything._"

The champion of Shadow Isles cackled as he left the balcony with the brilliantly blue bird.

He failed to notice that, despite fighting this bird in the Summoner's Rift several times, the creature he carried was none other than Valor, the second Wing of Demacia.

* * *

_Two hours later..._

* * *

Even after two hours of searching within the large academy, Jarvan and his group of Demacians found no traces of Valor. It was the last place they were allowed to search through, as lands outside of the Institute could result in Rift matches going haywire. Quinn fearfully searched through an empty classroom, her hope in finding her partner fading ever-so-slowly. The Prince of Demacia picked up a dust ball before throwing it into a nearby trash can. "Great," Jarvan muttered as he dusted his hands. "This is actually a lot more problematic than I thought it would've been..."

"C-C'mon, Valor! Where could you have gone to...?" Quinn bit her lips, her anxiety overtaking her emotions. She hated it whenever Valor was separated from her, but to find out that he disappeared simply overwhelmed her. Lux placed a hand on the Wing of Demacia's shoulder as she said with a reassuring smile,

"Don't worry! I'm sure we'll find him."

Quinn nodded. She was losing control over herself, and she knew it. Garen gave her a worried look as he ruffled his hair in frustration. He himself liked to spend time and interact with Valor whenever he had the time to do so. The Might of Demacia knew that the feelings of uneasiness he felt was nothing compared to Quinn's.

But suddenly, out of the blue, the familiar, mixed jingling of keys and chains echoed in the hallway outside. Fiora froze nearby a desk. Xin Zhao stopped pasting glue onto his own spear. Jarvan stiffened before he headed over to the exit. He used the window on the door to take a peek in the hallway. A few seconds later, the prince darkly muttered,

"_Thresh..._"

The Chain Warden hummed happily as he gently swung his lantern around. Being a notorious champion of Shadow Isles, despite having an extremely carefree personality, many people knew that he was not to be taken lightly. They strongly believed that the only thing holding Thresh back from obliterating Valoran was the Institute of War. Even Mordekaiser had a better reputation, though the iron man was more feared for different reasons.

Thresh cackled as he stared at the present box he carried on one hand. There was a silver note plastered on the top of the box, but its contents were not visible to Jarvan. Garen quickly joined the prince near the tiny window. The Prince of Demacia had slightly opened the door to hear whatever Thresh had to say.

"_Ah,_" the Chain Warden happily said to himself as he scanned the present box's cover. "Good times. I wonder when was the last time Mordekaiser gave me a present?"

Thresh stopped in his tracks. He quickly looked around, making sure that no one was present in the hallway, before he slumped down onto a smooth, brown wall. The Chain Warden carefully took the expensive-looking ribbon off before he opened the fairly large box. He leaned over to see what was inside, and its contents apparently made him a happy boy. Thresh reached out for the gift before he took it out.

What he took out absolutely horrified Garen and Jarvan.

"_Holy sh-_" Thresh quickly interrupted himself as he quietly exclaimed, "_How'd he get his hands on one of Demacia's noble birds?_"

Indeed, beneath his grip was a magnificently blue bird. It had some sort of wound on its left wing, though it was certainly not made by Thresh. The Chain Warden simply raised an eyebrow as he observed the bird. "Oh well. Looks pretty dead to me. _Perfect!_ Now, I wonder where that oven was...?"

As Thresh stood up, Jarvan heard something snap behind him. He turned around, only to find an emotionless-looking Quinn staring at the Chain Warden through the window. The prince had to prevent himself from screaming before he angrily whispered, "_Quinn!_ You nearly made me sh_**#&**_ my pants!"

Quinn simply stared through the window. When no response came from her, Garen carefully picked his words out before he asked, "Um... Quinn? Are you not feeling well?"

"It seems," Quinn stoically stated, her eyes lifeless and empty, as she took out a crossbow, "that the Warden will need more than just a beating."

Meanwhile, Thresh stared at Mordekaiser's note, which he took off of the discarded box, as he walked into the main lobby. The note stated:

_Yo Thresh,_

_Find the owner for me. You could play with the bird as much as you want; as long as you don't kill it **like usual. **Don't f**#&%** this up. **Please.** By the way, this is your early birthday present._

_Mordekaiser._

Thresh crumpled the note... or, so he tried. The steel note was simply folded into two pieces much to the Warden's annoyance.

"Fine then," Thresh said as he wandered off to the Nursery Hall. "Though, it'd be nice if I could taste it."

Shortly after he spoke, a loud bell rang. Thresh jumped as he accidentally dropped the Demacian bird onto the ground. He stared at the inactive bird before he shrugged to himself.

"Oops."

The Chain Warden picked the bird up before he entered the Nurse's office. Followed after an ear-shattering scream, Thresh left with two scalpels stuck on his head, a small, pink blanket for the bird, and some bandage packs. _Boy, do I hate women. You ask for something, and you get __**way**__ more than you bargained for. And you always get utter sh__**#&**__, too._ The Warden thought to himself as he walked back into the lobby. He decided to follow the files of students that headed towards one place.

Thresh made sure to cover the bird with the pink blanket. Carrying an injured, noble Demacian bird was more than enough to let the local police catch someone unless they were a Demacian champion. The Warden sheltered the dormant bird as he was given horrified looks by students around him. He noticed this and, when he decided to get a little friendly with the summoners, he raised a hand with a middle finger obnoxiously pointed to the skies as he said,

"Children? I'd advise you to not stare at me like that. It makes you all look like donkeys."

Everyone stopped looking at Thresh.

It turned out that the destination the students were heading for was an enormous cafeteria. With over thousands of seats, it was more than enough for the students to sit somewhere. "Wow," Thresh muttered to himself as he gently swung his lantern around. "Too bad my prison looks way cooler than this."

Someone in the cafeteria caught his eyes. Thresh found himself staring at Mordekaiser, who had sat next to Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms. The mercenary donned the clothes he usually wore: a purple cloak, baggy pants, and two comfortable-looking sandles.

"Thresh," Mordekaiser greeted the Warden with a chuckle. "How's the bird? Did you find the owner yet?"

"No. And _this better not be my early birthday gift_. But why're you two here, anyways? I came here because Swain told me I would earn a million dollars just by breathing in this building."

The Master of Metal sighed as he explained, "I came here 'cause of two insane women, one DOTA-obsessed gamer, and a jackpot in the Wheel of Misfortune."

Jax cleared his throat before he said, "I teach how to fish. It's a good job, actually."

Thresh cackled maniacally. "Next thing you know, you teach the failures on how to transform into fish."

"I'll teach your mom on how to transform into a fish."

"...Good one, Jax. Good one."

* * *

Quinn glared daggers at the two Shadow Isles champions a few tables away from her. She was sitting near them, her great sense of vision allowing her to observe every single action they performed, to make sure that Valor was unhurt. Her partner was wrapped up in a pink blanket. Jarvan, who sat right next to her, rolled his eyes in annoyance. He was currently dressed up in the attire he wore in the Defender of Tomorrow live-action show. The prince complained, "Quinn, I know how dire the situation is. But _dressing up_ was totally unnecessary."

"Lord Jarvan," the Wing of Demacia whispered quietly. "My friend is in danger."

Xin Zhao, who wore a yellow t-shirt and jeans, scratched the back of his head before he said, "Yeah, man- I mean, Lord Jarvan. And not to mention, but you still have a seizure. Would you like to put some hydrochloric acid in your drink-"

"Xin," Jarvan commanded with a powerful voice. "_No._"

Xin let a manly tear trickle down his cheek. Everyone ignored the beautiful moment.

Garen sported his usual track-running outfit: a blue-and-yellow t-shirt with a picture of Jarvan's flagpole in it, dark-blue coolmax shorts, and two brilliantly yellow shoes. It was a casual training uniform publicly sold by the Demaican military. He cleared his throat before he commented, "At least Fiora and Lux would not have to deal with this anymore. I sent them away for their own safety, though they seemed quite reluctant about it."

Quinn, who wore the same outfit as Garen, simply nodded. The Might of Demacia blinked a few times before a determined look entered his face. "You know what," Garen said with sudden confidence within his voice. "I'm gonna talk with those three."

"No," Quinn coldly said to him. "We lure them out and beat them down to their thick skulls."

"No," Jarvan said with a large smile. "We get out of here and find Sona. How does that sound?"

* * *

Mordekaiser slammed a fist on the lunch table. "You know," the iron man said to the two men sitting at the table, "I need to give a quiz out later. After school."

"Really?" Jax asked in surprise. "Funny, my class is going to have a quiz over fishing."

The Master of Metal chuckled. "True- true, but my way of teaching is too awesome for my class to comprehend."

Mordekaiser and Jax had a somewhat-friendly relationship with each other. It was Jax who had first built the stepping stones by interacting with the iron man several times. Through some bets, Summoner's Rift matches, and a magnificent surgery, the two developed a mediocre start for a decent friendship. Mordekaiser was impressed that a mercenary like Jax would try to befriend him even after his failure as a surgeon, though he was still not convinced that the Grandmaster really was a _comrade _he could trust. It was interesting to note that Jax was unusually formal around the Master of Metal.

Thresh simply stared at the fragile bird within the blanket he held. He had been doing so for the last five minutes. After another minute of staring, the Chain Warden asked his tablemates,

"Hey guys, don't you think this bird is kinda familiar?"

Jax looked up from the burger he ate. He chewed and gulped down the bite he took before he enlightened Thresh and Mordekaiser with new information.

"Oh? That's Valor. Nice of you to take care of 'im, though."

"..."

"..."

"...What?" Jax confusingly asked.

Mordekaiser placed a hand on the Grandmaster's a menacing glare, he asked,

"_You serious?_"

The Master of Metal had realized that a certain Demacian champion _did_ have a bird partner. The little care he shared for Quinn seemed to make Valor's presence nonexistent to him- until now, that was. Mordekaiser clutched his head in annoyance as he mumbled to himself, "Great, I bet we're being stalked now. Jax, what should I do with this pest- er, Valor?"

The Grandmaster at Arms swallowed the rest of his burger before he crossed his arms. He fell into a train of thoughts deep within his mind. It took Jax a while to come up with an answer. Placing his left elbow on the lunch table, he confidently told the Master of Metal, "Easy. Just give him back to Quinn. Saves trouble, and it's not as hard as it sounds."

Thresh cackled. "Ha," the Chain Warden laughed as he placed his lantern onto the table. "So it was Valor all along, huh? It'll take Mordekaiser a million milliseconds to give that bird to Quinn- wait a minute..." The Warden put up a thoughtful look before he concluded,

"Nope. It'll take him one thousand seconds."

"Thresh," an amused Jax asked the lantern man. "You do realize that _a million milliseconds is equivalent to one thousand seconds_, right?"

Thresh stared at the Grandmaster at Arms. Shortly afterward, he flung his arms into the air as he exclaimed, "_Screw math!_ I wasn't much of a 'Dungeons and Dragons' fan, anyway."

Mordekaiser's face scrunched up into a look of confusion. "What does that have to do with-"

"Oh hey!" Thresh abruptly interrupted the Master of Metal as he bolted up from his lunch seat. "It's Quinn! And she's staring at me with a flirtatious look! Am I finally going to go _Multiplayer_?!"

Mordekaiser and Jax turned to look at whatever Thresh was pointing at. Indeed, Quinn sat nearby the three. She was staring- no, _glaring_ at the Chain Warden. It was evident that she wanted to do something violent to Thresh. Jax reached inside the hood that was over his head to scratch the back of his head. He asked the Master of Metal, "Uh, Mordekaiser? She doesn't look that flirtatious to you... right?"

The iron man simply replied, "No. Thresh is just being the troll he is."

Quinn stood up from her seat. Ignoring the cries of her leader, Jarvan IV, she headed over to the three men. There was a deadly fire burning in her eyes, and Mordekaiser knew that there was an incoming battle coming for either him or Thresh. The Master of Metal stood up from his seat as well, though he was calm about the entire situation. He knew how to deal with women and their ways of countering words with words.

The Wing of Demacia abruptly stopped herself in her tracks before she pointed at the Master of Metal. She knew that he was the one who let Thresh take Valor, and she was more than just angry with the iron man. Quinn coldly commanded Mordekaiser, the Master of Metal, with a hostile aura,

"_Give Valor back._"

"..."

Mordekaiser blinked several times. He then chuckled, though Quinn couldn't tell whether he was delighted with her anger or utterly baffled by her command. The Master of Metal regained control of himself before he picked up the bird wrapped up in the pink blanket. Mordekaiser then headed over to the Demacian champion before he roughly grabbed one of her hands. Caught by surprise, Quinn violently twisted and shook in anger. As she blindly attempted to get Mordekaiser to let go, the Master of Metal simply placed Valor on the open hand. This was enough for Quinn to freeze.

"Here," the iron man said with a pleasant smile on his face. "Go jump into a pit of fire and never order me to do something again. You're just as bad as Thresh on crack right now."

Mordekaiser shoved Quinn's open hand to her body. The Wing of Demacia simply stared at him with wide eyes. Thresh pumped his fists into the air as he exclaimed, "_Oh, burrrrrrrrrrn!_ He just called you Thresh on- wait, _what the fu-_"

Jax smacked Thresh aside with a powerful fist much to everyone's satisfaction. The Grandmaster at Arms told the Master of Metal from his seat, "Mordekaiser, the lunch period is about to end. You might as well prepare your... interesting... pop quiz. Heh heh."

The iron man nodded. He turned to Quinn, an annoyed look present in his face. The Master of Metal took several steps away from Wing of Demacia as he told her,

"I've got enough in my hands right now. Don't you ever _dare_ to challenge me, though a match at the Rift would be acceptable."

The bell rang, signaling every student and teacher to return to their respective classrooms. Mordekaiser left alongside Jax and Thresh, who had his head twisted one-hundred eighty degrees. Quinn simply stared off into the large crowd of people as Garen approached her with a worried look. "Quinn!" The Might of Demacia exclaimed as he put his hands on her shoulders. "You... alright?"

The Demacian woman slowly turned her head to Garen. A few silent seconds ticked by as she blindly looked at the Might of Demacia.

Shortly afterward, steam shot out of her ears as her face turned bright red. She had just been humiliated in the middle of a school, and it was a miracle that not many students noticed their presences. Though there were several summoners taking pictures of the Demacian champions, she did not mind the excited students that begged for her attention. Garen smiled before he lightly smacked her back. "Let's go," the Demacian knight told her as he began to walk towards Jarvan, who was surrounded by a bunch of fangirls. "Our leader awaits."

Quinn, whose head was hung in shame, simply pet Valor's soft head. She was both relieved and embarrassed with the outcome of the little mission she had. While finding Valor was, indeed, great news, how quickly Mordekaiser gave him to her simply stupefied her. She nodded ever-so-slightly before she squeaked,

"Okay."

* * *

_Three hours later..._

* * *

"_**ALRIGHT CLASS!**_" Mordekaiser screamed at the top of his lungs as he obliterated the wooden podium he had used for the day with a single punch. "_**LET'S START THIS MOTHERF&#$ING BAD#&$ QUIZ! GRAHHHHHHH! I'M SO EXCITED! GET READY TO DIE!**_"

Some of the students took their time screaming out of sheer terror, while the rest hastily took out their writing utensils. True to his word, Mordekaiser was making the students take a pop quiz over what he taught for the day. He had quickly made questions for the quiz during the three free hours he had, and he was confident that everyone would fail. The iron man believed all of the summoners to be retards, and so, he brought out questions that retards would not be able to solve.

As he sat at the teacher's desk, Mordekaiser snapped his fingers, letting quiz papers fly straight out of the destroyed podium. The papers perfectly landed on all of the students' tables, much to their amazement and horror. Deciding that he should quicken the pace, the iron man roared, "_Begin!_"

And thus, the quiz began. Clementine gulped as she wrote her name down the paper. She was taking a quiz from her favorite champion, and she wanted to do her best to prove her worth to him. The summoner took a deep breath before she took a look at the first question.

What she saw baffled her.

_Awesome Question One: If "x=3," "y=5," and "z=10," what is the determinant of "x-y+z?"_

Though Clementine knew how to solve the question, she was startled by the sudden Algebra question. One of the students raised his hand in anxiety as he asked the Master of Metal,

"L-L-Lord Mordekaiser! T-This isn't w-what we went over!"

Mordekaiser, who comfortably positioned himself on the teacher's chair, continued to stare at the last cellphone he had brought with him. No reply came from him.

The quiz was taken silently for the rest of the given time. Pens and pencils scribbled on the "pop quiz" as some of the students stopped to take a moment of thinking. After ten minutes flew by, Mordekaiser tossed aside the phone before he yelled,

"_**TIME'S UP! **__Gimme your money- er, __**papers!**__ You've got ten seconds to give them to me before I give you a 'zero!'_"

All of the students rushed out of their seats to hastily give the iron man their papers. Much to their chagrin, the Master of Metal motioned everyone to return to their respective seats. He picked up the messy pile of papers on the teacher's desk before he skimmed through all of the pages. After staring at the last paper for a strangely long time, the iron man carelessly tossed the papers back to the table before he looked up to his class.

"You all got hundreds. Get the f_**#&%**_ out, cause I want to end this stupid day quickly!"

The students simultaneously blinked like confused chickens. When none of them moved, Yelena spoke up with a hand raised,

"Lord Mordekaiser? Why is it that _all_ of us aced our quizzes? Some students may not have even tried to solve some of the problems. And why is that you're in such a hurry?"

The Master of Metal shrugged as he picked up his cellphone in a hurry. "You know what?" The iron man said to the red-haired student with an annoyed look. "Your last name was _Edenfield_, wasn't it?" With his cellphone in hand, Mordekaiser headed over to the exit, stopping directly in front of it. He turned to Yelena, who jumped by the glare he gave her. The iron man cockily muttered,

"_No summoner should __**dare**__ to ask __**me**__ personal questions, kid, unless they are Mercedes or Margaret._"

And with that, he left the classroom, allowing the students to leave as well. Clementine was frozen. It was not that she was flattered by the iron man's words, and it was not because of the fact that Mordekaiser shut Yelena up with a simple sentence.

He had acknowledged her as a summoner.

Realizing that time was still ticking by, Clementine packed her things up before she left the classroom as well. She was feeling a little happy thanks to her favorite champion's powerful words. It was the first time she ever saw Yelena dumbstruck by something, but she knew that it would have come eventually. Even if Mordekaiser did not even realize that she was in the room for the entire time, the entire event was satisfying for Clementine.

She remembered why she admired the Master of Metal.

* * *

Mercedes leaned back from the chair he had been sitting on for the last three hours. He surprisingly won the tournament, and his prize money would soon be shipped to him soon. The high summoner closed his eyes as he indulged himself to the quiet atmosphere of his office. Like Mordekaiser, video games let Mercedes truly rest and get his mind off of unimportant things. The auburn-haired man smiled as he opened his eyes.

Just when he stood up from his chair, someone knocked on his office door. Mercedes yelled, "Yeah, hold on for a sec'!"

As the high summoner ran to the door, he thought to himself,

_I guess Halloween is coming soon..._

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

**10000 words. omg**

**Some of you may have realized that this particular chapter was told from multiple perspectives (in this case, Mordekaiser, Thresh, and the Demacians) instead of the usual 'This-fic-is-90%-Mordekaiser-hue'. This kind of storytelling allows me to not only expand Steel Revolution's universe, but it also allows me to write the fanfiction with a more diverse imagination. It also brings in different kinds of humor and (eventually) story-driving elements. Of course, Mordekaiser is still the main character.**

**Please tell me what you think of this new writing format! Be honest. And remember, feedback is awesome for me!**

**The next chapter... is a seeeeeeecret. Well, the title that is.**


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